If you lived in Iceland instead of Luxembourg, you would:

Health

be 16.5% more likely to be obese

In Luxembourg, 19.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Iceland, that number is 22.2% of people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

see 21.4% less spent on your healthcare

Luxembourg spends $8,808 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Iceland spends $6,927 as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 44.9% more likely to die by suicide

Luxembourg has a suicide rate of 8.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Iceland, it is 11.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Economy

be 42.9% less likely to be unemployed

In Luxembourg, 6.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Iceland, that number is 3.6% as of 2025.

View global rankings →

make 33.2% less money

Luxembourg has a GDP per capita of $147,252 as of 2025, while in Iceland, the GDP per capita is $98,323 as of 2025.

View global rankings →

Life

be 72.7% less likely to die during childbirth

In Luxembourg, approximately 11.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Iceland, 3.0 women do as of 2023.

View global rankings →

have 17.9% more children

In Luxembourg, there are approximately 9.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Iceland, there are 11.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 10.5% more likely to die during infancy

In Luxembourg, approximately 1.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Iceland, on the other hand, 2.1 children do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Expenditures

spend 95.5% more on education

Luxembourg spends 3.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Iceland spends 7.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

View global rankings →

spend 52.5% more on healthcare

Luxembourg spends 5.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Iceland, that number is 9.0% of GDP as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Safety

be 15.7% less likely to be murdered

Luxembourg has a homicide rate of 1.5 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In Iceland, that number is 1.3 per 100,000 as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 14.8% more likely to feel safe walking alone at night

In Luxembourg, 79% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2020. In Iceland, that number is 91% as of 2022.

View global rankings →

be 38.5% less likely to die in a road accident

In Luxembourg, road accidents kill 3.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Iceland, they kill 2.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Infrastructure

live with 90.2% less strain on fresh water

Luxembourg withdraws 4% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Iceland withdraws 0% as of 2022.

View global rankings →

use 4.2 times more electricity

Luxembourg uses 11,662 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Iceland uses 48,998 kWh as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Environment

be 38.5% less likely to die from air pollution

In Luxembourg, air pollution causes 13.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Iceland, it causes 8.0 as of 2019.

View global rankings →

emit 19.3% less CO2

Luxembourg emits 10.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Iceland emits 8.5 tonnes as of 2024.

View global rankings →


Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Iceland: At a glance

Iceland is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 100,250 sq km. Settled by Norwegian and Celtic (Scottish and Irish) immigrants during the late 9th and 10th centuries A.D., Iceland boasts the world's oldest functioning legislative assembly, the Althing, established in 930. Independent for over 300 years, Iceland was subsequently ruled by Norway and Denmark. Fallout from the Askja volcano of 1875 devastated the Icelandic economy and caused widespread famine. Over the next quarter century, 20% of the island's population emigrated, mostly to Canada and the US. Denmark granted limited home rule in 1874 and complete independence in 1944. The second half of the 20th century saw substantial economic growth driven primarily by the fishing industry. The economy diversified greatly after the country joined the European Economic Area in 1994, but Iceland was especially hard hit by the global financial crisis in the years following 2008. Literacy, longevity, and social cohesion are first rate by world standards.
Read more

How big is Iceland compared to Luxembourg? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Iceland or Luxembourg. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.