Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 8.1 years less

In Iceland, the average life expectancy is 83 years (81 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024. In Ukraine, that number is 75 years (70 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 80.0% less spent on your healthcare

Iceland spends $6,927 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Ukraine spends $1,382 as of 2021.

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have 19.3% fewer doctors per person

Iceland has 43.7 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Ukraine has 35.3 as of 2023.

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have 14.6% less access to essential health services

Iceland scores 89 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Ukraine scores 76 as of 2021.

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be 78.1% more likely to die by suicide

Iceland has a suicide rate of 11.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Ukraine, it is 21.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 2.6 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In Iceland, 8.8% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Ukraine, however, that number is 23.2% as of 2020.

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make 94.0% less money

Iceland has a GDP per capita of $98,323 as of 2025, while in Ukraine, the GDP per capita is $5,866 as of 2025.

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Life

be 5.0 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Iceland, approximately 3.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Ukraine, 15.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 3.6 times more likely to die during infancy

In Iceland, approximately 2.1 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Ukraine, on the other hand, 7.6 children do as of 2024.

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have 51.2% fewer children

In Iceland, there are approximately 11.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Ukraine, there are 5.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 16.0% less likely to have internet access

In Iceland, approximately 98.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Ukraine, about 82.5% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 29.7% less on education

Iceland spends 7.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Ukraine spends 5.1% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

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Geography

see 44.0% less coastline

Iceland has a total of 4,970 km of coastline. In Ukraine, that number is 2,782 km.

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Safety

be 2.9 times more likely to be murdered

Iceland has a homicide rate of 1.3 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Ukraine, that number is 3.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 4.4 times more likely to die in a road accident

In Iceland, road accidents kill 2.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Ukraine, they kill 10.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 42.3% less home broadband

Iceland has 37.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Ukraine has 21.6 as of 2024.

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live with 16.2 times more strain on fresh water

Iceland withdraws 0% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Ukraine withdraws 6% as of 2022.

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use 94.9% less electricity

Iceland uses 48,998 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Ukraine uses 2,516 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

emit 63.3% less CO2

Iceland emits 8.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Ukraine emits 3.1 tonnes as of 2024.

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be 8.2 times more likely to die from air pollution

In Iceland, air pollution causes 8.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Ukraine, it causes 66.0 as of 2019.

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Sources: World Bank (2017–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

Compare further: Iceland vs. Ukraine

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Ukraine is 74.5% cheaper than Iceland overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Iceland is about 6 times smaller than Ukraine.
→
Moving from Iceland to Ukraine · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
→

Ukraine: At a glance

Ukraine is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 579,330 sq km. Ukraine was the center of the first eastern Slavic state, Kyivan Rus, which during the 10th and 11th centuries was the largest and most powerful state in Europe. Weakened by internecine quarrels and Mongol invasions, Kyivan Rus was incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and eventually into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The cultural and religious legacy of Kyivan Rus laid the foundation for Ukrainian nationalism through subsequent centuries. A new Ukrainian state, the Cossack Hetmanate, was established during the mid-17th century after an uprising against the Poles. Despite continuous Muscovite pressure, the Hetmanate managed to remain autonomous for well over 100 years. During the latter part of the 18th century, most Ukrainian ethnographic territory was absorbed by the Russian Empire. Following the collapse of czarist Russia in 1917, Ukraine was able to achieve a short-lived period of independence (1917-20), but was reconquered and forced to endure a brutal Soviet rule that engineered two forced famines (1921-22 and 1932-33) in which over 8 million died. In World War II, German and Soviet armies were responsible for some 7 to 8 million more deaths. Although final independence for Ukraine was achieved in 1991 with the dissolution of the USSR, democracy and prosperity remained elusive as the legacy of state control and endemic corruption stalled efforts at economic reform, privatization, and civil liberties. A peaceful mass protest "Orange Revolution" in the closing months of 2004 forced the authorities to overturn a rigged presidential election and to allow a new internationally monitored vote that swept into power a reformist slate under Viktor YUSHCHENKO. Subsequent internal squabbles in the YUSHCHENKO camp allowed his rival Viktor YANUKOVYCH to stage a comeback in parliamentary (Rada) elections and to become prime minister in August of 2006, and to be elected president in February 2010. In October 2012, Ukraine held Rada elections, widely criticized by Western observers as flawed due to use of government resources to favor ruling party candidates, interference with media access, and harassment of opposition candidates. President YANUKOVYCH's backtracking on a trade and cooperation agreement with the EU in November 2013 - in favor of closer economic ties with Russia - led to a three-month protest occupation of Kyiv's central square. The government's eventual use of force to break up the protest camp in February 2014 led to all out pitched battles, scores of deaths, international condemnation, and the president's abrupt departure to Russia. An interim government scheduled new presidential elections for 25 May 2014. On 1 March 2014, one week after the overthrow in Kyiv, Russian President PUTIN ordered the invasion of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula claiming the action was to protect ethnic Russians living there. On 16 March 2014, a "referendum" was held regarding the integration of Crimea into the Russian Federation. The "referendum" was condemned as illegitimate by the Ukrainian Government, the EU, the US, and the UN General Assembly. Russian forces now occupy Crimea and Russian authorities claim it as Russian territory. The Ukrainian Government asserts that Crimea remains part of Ukraine.
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