Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Tanzania instead of Iowa, you would:

Health

live 7.3 years less

In Iowa, the average life expectancy is 78 years (76 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020. In Tanzania, that number is 70 years (68 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2022.

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Economy

be 20.9% less likely to be unemployed

In Iowa, 3.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Tanzania, that number is 2.6% as of 2023.

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make 94.4% less money

Iowa has a GDP per capita of $63,747 as of 2024, while in Tanzania, the GDP per capita is $3,600 as of 2023.

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Basic Needs

be 63.6% less likely to have internet access

In Iowa, approximately 87.9% of the population has internet access as of 2023. In Tanzania, about 32.0% do as of 2021.

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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: Iowa vs. Tanzania
Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Tanzania is 47.1% cheaper than Iowa
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Size Comparison · See true size
Iowa is about 7 times smaller than Tanzania.
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Tanzania: At a glance

Tanzania is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 885,800 sq km. Shortly after achieving independence from Britain in the early 1960s, Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form the nation of Tanzania in 1964. One-party rule ended in 1995 with the first democratic elections held in the country since the 1970s. Zanzibar's semi-autonomous status and popular opposition led to two contentious elections since 1995, which the ruling party won despite international observers' claims of voting irregularities. The formation of a government of national unity between Zanzibar's two leading parties succeeded in minimizing electoral tension in 2010.
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How big is Tanzania compared to Iowa? See an in-depth size comparison.

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