If you lived in Uruguay instead of Kiribati, you would:

Health

live 11.7 years longer

In Kiribati, the average life expectancy is 67 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024. In Uruguay, that number is 78 years (74 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 23.3% less likely to be obese

In Kiribati, 45.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Uruguay, that number is 35.0% of people as of 2024.

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see 7.8 times more spent on your healthcare

Kiribati spends $401 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Uruguay spends $3,135 as of 2023.

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have 70.8% more access to essential health services

Kiribati scores 48 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Uruguay scores 82 as of 2021.

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be 41.7% more likely to die by suicide

Kiribati has a suicide rate of 17.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Uruguay, it is 24.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

make 9.9 times more money

Kiribati has a GDP per capita of $2,559 as of 2025, while in Uruguay, the GDP per capita is $25,216 as of 2025.

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be 3.1 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In Kiribati, 5.5% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Uruguay, however, that number is 17.3% as of 2024.

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Life

be 81.2% less likely to die during childbirth

In Kiribati, approximately 80.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Uruguay, 15.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 84.0% less likely to die during infancy

In Kiribati, approximately 38.8 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.

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have 61.3% fewer children

In Kiribati, there are approximately 25.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Uruguay, there are 9.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 26.0% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Kiribati, approximately 79% of people have access to drinking water (90% in urban areas, and 64% 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.

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Expenditures

spend 71.0% less on education

Kiribati spends 16.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Uruguay spends 4.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 17.6% less on healthcare

Kiribati spends 10.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Uruguay, that number is 9.0% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 42.3% less coastline

Kiribati has a total of 1,143 km of coastline. In Uruguay, that number is 660 km.

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Safety

be 2.1 times more likely to die in a road accident

In Kiribati, road accidents kill 6.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Uruguay, they kill 13.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 1101.3 times more home broadband

Kiribati has 0.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Uruguay has 33.0 as of 2024.

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Environment

be 67.3% less likely to die from air pollution

In Kiribati, air pollution causes 49.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Uruguay, it causes 16.0 as of 2019.

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emit 4.4 times more CO2

Kiribati emits 0.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Uruguay emits 2.6 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

Uruguay: At a glance

Uruguay is a sovereign country in South America, with a total land area of approximately 175,015 sq km. Montevideo, founded by the Spanish in 1726 as a military stronghold, soon took advantage of its natural harbor to become an important commercial center. Claimed by Argentina but annexed by Brazil in 1821, Uruguay declared its independence four years later and secured its freedom in 1828 after a three-year struggle. The administrations of President Jose BATLLE in the early 20th century launched widespread political, social, and economic reforms that established a statist tradition. A violent Marxist urban guerrilla movement named the Tupamaros, launched in the late 1960s, led Uruguay's president to cede control of the government to the military in 1973. By yearend, the rebels had been crushed, but the military continued to expand its hold over the government. Civilian rule was not restored until 1985. In 2004, the left-of-center Frente Amplio Coalition won national elections that effectively ended 170 years of political control previously held by the Colorado and Blanco parties. Uruguay's political and labor conditions are among the freest on the continent.
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