Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Uruguay instead of Kenya, you would:
Health
live 14.5 years longer
In Kenya, the average life expectancy is 64 years (62 years for men, 66 years for women) as of 2024. In Uruguay, that number is 78 years (74 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2024.
see 11.4 times more spent on your healthcare
Kenya spends $274 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Uruguay spends $3,135 as of 2023.
have 16.2 times more doctors per person
Kenya has 2.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Uruguay has 46.7 as of 2022.
have 54.7% more access to essential health services
Kenya scores 53 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Uruguay scores 82 as of 2021.
be 3.1 times more likely to be obese
In Kenya, 11.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Uruguay, that number is 35.0% of people as of 2024.
be 5.4 times more likely to die by suicide
Kenya has a suicide rate of 4.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Uruguay, it is 24.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 56.5% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Kenya, 39.8% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Uruguay, however, that number is 17.3% as of 2024.
make 10.7 times more money
Kenya has a GDP per capita of $2,363 as of 2025, while in Uruguay, the GDP per capita is $25,216 as of 2025.
be 38.0% more likely to be unemployed
In Kenya, 5.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Uruguay, that number is 7.5% as of 2025.
Life
be 89.9% less likely to die during childbirth
In Kenya, approximately 149.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Uruguay, 15.0 women do as of 2023.
be 19.7% more likely to be literate
In Kenya, the literacy rate is 82.6% as of 2021. In Uruguay, it is 98.9% as of 2024.
be 81.9% less likely to die during infancy
In Kenya, approximately 34.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Uruguay, on the other hand, 6.2 children do as of 2024.
have 63.7% fewer children
In Kenya, there are approximately 27.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Uruguay, there are 9.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 31.2% more likely to have access to electricity
In Kenya, approximately 76% of people have electricity access (96% in urban areas, and 68% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Uruguay, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 2.6 times more likely to have internet access
In Kenya, approximately 35.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Uruguay, about 92.0% do as of 2024.
be 51.9% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Kenya, approximately 66% of people have access to drinking water (89% in urban areas, and 56% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Uruguay, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 95% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 18.4% more on education
Kenya spends 4.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Uruguay spends 4.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 2.1 times more on healthcare
Kenya spends 4.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Uruguay, that number is 9.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 23.1% more coastline
Kenya has a total of 536 km of coastline. In Uruguay, that number is 660 km.
Safety
be 53.9% less likely to die in a road accident
In Kenya, road accidents kill 28.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Uruguay, they kill 13.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 2.3 times more likely to be murdered
Kenya has a homicide rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In Uruguay, that number is 11.2 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Infrastructure
find 10.9 times more home broadband
Kenya has 3.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Uruguay has 33.0 as of 2024.
live with 63.7% less strain on fresh water
Kenya withdraws 33% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Uruguay withdraws 12% as of 2022.
use 19.4 times more electricity
Kenya uses 195 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Uruguay uses 3,790 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 51.5% less likely to die from air pollution
In Kenya, air pollution causes 33.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Uruguay, it causes 16.0 as of 2019.
emit 6.8 times more CO2
Kenya emits 0.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Uruguay emits 2.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Kenya vs. Uruguay
Uruguay: At a glance
How big is Uruguay compared to Kenya? See an in-depth size comparison.