Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Spain instead of Iceland, you would:

Health

live 1.3 years less

In Iceland, the average life expectancy is 83 years (81 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2020. In Spain, that number is 82 years (79 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2020.

Economy

make 26.4% less money

Iceland has a GDP per capita of $52,200 as of 2017, while in Spain, the GDP per capita is $38,400 as of 2017.

be 6.1 times more likely to be unemployed

In Iceland, 2.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2017. In Spain, that number is 17.2% as of 2017.

Life

be 52.4% more likely to die during infancy

In Iceland, approximately 2.1 children die before they reach the age of one as of 2020. In Spain, on the other hand, 3.2 children do as of 2020.

have 34.6% fewer children

In Iceland, there are approximately 13.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2020. In Spain, there are 8.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2020.

Basic Needs

be 13.0% less likely to have internet access

In Iceland, approximately 99.0% of the population has internet access as of 2018. In Spain, about 86.1% do as of 2018.

Expenditures

spend 44.0% less on education

Iceland spends 7.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2016. Spain spends 4.2% of total GDP on education as of 2016.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Spain: At a glance

Spain is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 498,980 sq km. Spain's powerful world empire of the 16th and 17th centuries ultimately yielded command of the seas to England. Subsequent failure to embrace the mercantile and industrial revolutions caused the country to fall behind Britain, France, and Germany in economic and political power. Spain remained neutral in World War I and II but suffered through a devastating civil war (1936-39). A peaceful transition to democracy following the death of dictator Francisco FRANCO in 1975, and rapid economic modernization (Spain joined the EU in 1986) gave Spain a dynamic and rapidly growing economy and made it a global champion of freedom and human rights. More recently the government has had to focus on measures to reverse a severe economic recession that began in mid-2008. Austerity measures implemented to reduce a large budget deficit and reassure foreign investors have led to one of the highest unemployment rates in Europe.
Read more

How big is Spain compared to Iceland? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Spain. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.