If you lived in Libya instead of Kuwait, you would:

Health

be 16.7% less likely to be obese

In Kuwait, 40.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Libya, that number is 33.7% of people as of 2024.

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live 13.5 years less

In Kuwait, the average life expectancy is 85 years (84 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024. In Libya, that number is 71 years (70 years for men, 73 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 58.9% less spent on your healthcare

Kuwait spends $2,567 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Libya spends $1,055 as of 2023.

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have 10.2% fewer doctors per person

Kuwait has 22.7 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2020. Libya has 20.4 as of 2017.

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have 20.5% less access to essential health services

Kuwait scores 78 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Libya scores 62 as of 2021.

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be 2.2 times more likely to die by suicide

Kuwait has a suicide rate of 2.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Libya, it is 5.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 8.6 times more likely to be unemployed

In Kuwait, 2.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Libya, that number is 18.8% as of 2025.

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make 80.0% less money

Kuwait has a GDP per capita of $32,312 as of 2025, while in Libya, the GDP per capita is $6,449 as of 2025.

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Life

have 64.7% more children

In Kuwait, there are approximately 10.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Libya, there are 16.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 7.4 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Kuwait, approximately 8.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Libya, 59.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 12.9% more likely to die during infancy

In Kuwait, approximately 7.0 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Libya, on the other hand, 7.9 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 26.8% less likely to have access to electricity

In Kuwait, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Libya, that number is 73% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 96% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 18.0% less likely to have internet access

In Kuwait, approximately 100.0% of the population has internet access as of 2025. In Libya, about 82.0% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 57.5% more on healthcare

Kuwait spends 5.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Libya, that number is 7.8% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 3.5 times more coastline

Kuwait has a total of 499 km of coastline. In Libya, that number is 1,770 km.

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Safety

be 3.7 times more likely to die in a road accident

In Kuwait, road accidents kill 9.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Libya, they kill 34.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 4.5 times more home broadband

Kuwait has 1.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Libya has 4.5 as of 2022.

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live with 78.8% less strain on fresh water

Kuwait withdraws 3850% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Libya withdraws 817% as of 2022.

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use 77.0% less electricity

Kuwait uses 16,496 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Libya uses 3,796 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

emit 63.4% less CO2

Kuwait emits 23.7 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Libya emits 8.7 tonnes as of 2024.

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be 20.0% more likely to die from air pollution

In Kuwait, air pollution causes 45.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Libya, it causes 54.0 as of 2019.

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Sources: World Bank (2017–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

Libya: At a glance

Libya is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 1,759,540 sq km. The Italians supplanted the Ottoman Turks in the area around Tripoli in 1911 and did not relinquish their hold until 1943 when defeated in World War II. Libya then passed to UN administration and achieved independence in 1951. Following a 1969 military coup, Col. Muammar al-QADHAFI assumed leadership and began to espouse his political system at home, which was a combination of socialism and Islam. During the 1970s, QADHAFI used oil revenues to promote his ideology outside Libya, supporting subversive and terrorist activities that included the downing of two airliners - one over Scotland, another in Northern Africa - and a discotheque bombing in Berlin. UN sanctions in 1992 isolated QADHAFI politically and economically following the attacks; sanctions were lifted in 2003 following Libyan acceptance of responsibility for the bombings and agreement to claimant compensation. QADHAFI also agreed to end Libya's program to develop weapons of mass destruction, and he made significant strides in normalizing relations with Western nations. Unrest that began in several Middle Eastern and North African countries in late 2010 erupted in Libyan cities in early 2011. QADHAFI's brutal crackdown on protesters spawned a civil war that triggered UN authorization of air and naval intervention by the international community. After months of seesaw fighting between government and opposition forces, the QADHAFI regime was toppled in mid-2011 and replaced by a transitional government. Libya in 2012 formed a new parliament and elected a new prime minister.
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