Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Netherlands instead of Iowa, you would:
Health
be 62.0% less likely to be obese
In Iowa, 38.7% of adults are obese as of 2022. In Netherlands, that number is 14.7% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 15.6% more money
Iowa has a GDP per capita of $63,747 as of 2024, while in Netherlands, the GDP per capita is $73,684 as of 2025.
be 17.3% more likely to be unemployed
In Iowa, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Netherlands, that number is 3.9% as of 2025.
be 38.1% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Iowa, 10.5% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Netherlands, however, that number is 14.5% as of 2021.
Basic Needs
be 10.4% more likely to have internet access
In Iowa, approximately 87.9% of the population has internet access as of 2023. In Netherlands, about 97.0% do as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), World Health Organization (2024), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Iowa vs. Netherlands
Netherlands: At a glance
How big is Netherlands compared to Iowa? See an in-depth size comparison.