Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Czech Republic instead of Illinois, you would:

Health

live 2.9 years longer

In Illinois, the average life expectancy is 77 years (76 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020. In Czech Republic, that number is 80 years (77 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2022.

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Economy

be 46.0% less likely to be unemployed

In Illinois, 4.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Czech Republic, that number is 2.6% as of 2023.

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be 10.5% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Illinois, 11.4% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Czech Republic, however, that number is 10.2% as of 2021.

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make 32.5% less money

Illinois has a GDP per capita of $70,691 as of 2024, while in Czech Republic, the GDP per capita is $47,700 as of 2023.

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The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, OECD Regional Demography, Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Compare further: Illinois vs. Czech Republic

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Czech Republic is 24.8% cheaper than Illinois
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Size Comparison · See true size
Illinois is about 1.8 times bigger than Czech Republic.
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City Size Comparison · See true size
Compare the size of Chicago vs Prague
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Czech Republic: At a glance

Czech Republic is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 77,247 sq km. At the close of World War I, the Czechs and Slovaks of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire merged to form Czechoslovakia. During the interwar years, having rejected a federal system, the new country's predominantly Czech leaders were frequently preoccupied with meeting the increasingly strident demands of other ethnic minorities within the republic, most notably the Slovaks, the Sudeten Germans, and the Ruthenians (Ukrainians). On the eve of World War II, Nazi Germany occupied the territory that today comprises the Czech Republic and Slovakia became an independent state allied with Germany. After the war, a reunited but truncated Czechoslovakia (less Ruthenia) fell within the Soviet sphere of influence. In 1968, an invasion by Warsaw Pact troops ended the efforts of the country's leaders to liberalize communist rule and create "socialism with a human face," ushering in a period of repression known as "normalization." The peaceful "Velvet Revolution" swept the Communist Party from power at the end of 1989 and inaugurated a return to democratic rule and a market economy. On 1 January 1993, the country underwent a nonviolent "velvet divorce" into its two national components, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Czech Republic joined NATO in 1999 and the European Union in 2004.
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How big is Czech Republic compared to Illinois? See an in-depth size comparison.

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