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

Health

live 7.2 years longer

In Libya, the average life expectancy is 71 years (70 years for men, 73 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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see 3.0 times more spent on your healthcare

Libya spends $1,055 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Uruguay spends $3,135 as of 2023.

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have 32.3% more access to essential health services

Libya scores 62 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Uruguay scores 82 as of 2021.

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be 5.0 times more likely to die by suicide

Libya has a suicide rate of 5.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Uruguay, it is 24.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 59.9% less likely to be unemployed

In Libya, 18.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Uruguay, that number is 7.5% as of 2025.

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make 3.9 times more money

Libya has a GDP per capita of $6,449 as of 2025, while in Uruguay, the GDP per capita is $25,216 as of 2025.

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Life

be 74.6% less likely to die during childbirth

In Libya, approximately 59.0 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 21.5% less likely to die during infancy

In Libya, approximately 7.9 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 40.6% fewer children

In Libya, there are approximately 16.5 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 36.6% more likely to have access to electricity

In Libya, approximately 73% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 96% 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.

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be 12.3% more likely to have internet access

In Libya, approximately 82.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Uruguay, about 92.0% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 15.5% more on healthcare

Libya spends 7.8% 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 62.7% less coastline

Libya has a total of 1,770 km of coastline. In Uruguay, that number is 660 km.

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Safety

be 61.8% less likely to die in a road accident

In Libya, road accidents kill 34.0 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 7.3 times more home broadband

Libya has 4.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Uruguay has 33.0 as of 2024.

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live with 98.5% less strain on fresh water

Libya withdraws 817% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Uruguay withdraws 12% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 70.4% less likely to die from air pollution

In Libya, air pollution causes 54.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Uruguay, it causes 16.0 as of 2019.

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emit 70.3% less CO2

Libya emits 8.7 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), 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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