If you lived in Norway instead of Malta, you would:

Health

be 34.1% less likely to be obese

In Malta, 30.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Norway, that number is 20.2% of people as of 2024.

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see 66.9% more spent on your healthcare

Malta spends $5,706 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Norway spends $9,523 as of 2023.

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have 10.2% more doctors per person

Malta has 45.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Norway has 49.8 as of 2023.

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be 2.0 times more likely to die by suicide

Malta has a suicide rate of 6.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Norway, it is 13.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 26.9% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Malta, 16.7% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Norway, however, that number is 12.2% as of 2021.

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make 97.5% more money

Malta has a GDP per capita of $47,907 as of 2025, while in Norway, the GDP per capita is $94,594 as of 2025.

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be 60.0% more likely to be unemployed

In Malta, 2.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Norway, that number is 4.6% as of 2025.

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Life

be 87.5% less likely to die during childbirth

In Malta, approximately 8.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Norway, 1.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 57.4% less likely to die during infancy

In Malta, approximately 4.7 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Norway, on the other hand, 2.0 children do as of 2024.

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have 26.0% more children

In Malta, there are approximately 7.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Norway, there are 9.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 15.3% more on education

Malta spends 4.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Norway spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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Geography

see 127.8 times more coastline

Malta has a total of 197 km of coastline. In Norway, that number is 25,148 km.

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Safety

be 21.1% less likely to die in a road accident

In Malta, road accidents kill 1.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Norway, they kill 1.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 28.6% more likely to be murdered

Malta has a homicide rate of 0.6 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Norway, that number is 0.7 per 100,000 as of 2023.

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Infrastructure

live with 97.2% less strain on fresh water

Malta withdraws 73% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Norway withdraws 2% as of 2022.

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use 4.7 times more electricity

Malta uses 5,013 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Norway uses 23,673 kWh as of 2024.

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Environment

be 61.9% less likely to die from air pollution

In Malta, air pollution causes 21.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Norway, it causes 8.0 as of 2019.

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emit 2.3 times more CO2

Malta emits 3.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Norway emits 7.2 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

Norway: At a glance

Norway is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 304,282 sq km. Two centuries of Viking raids into Europe tapered off following the adoption of Christianity by King Olav TRYGGVASON in 994. Conversion of the Norwegian kingdom occurred over the next several decades. In 1397, Norway was absorbed into a union with Denmark that lasted more than four centuries. In 1814, Norwegians resisted the cession of their country to Sweden and adopted a new constitution. Sweden then invaded Norway but agreed to let Norway keep its constitution in return for accepting the union under a Swedish king. Rising nationalism throughout the 19th century led to a 1905 referendum granting Norway independence. Although Norway remained neutral in World War I, it suffered heavy losses to its shipping. Norway proclaimed its neutrality at the outset of World War II, but was nonetheless occupied for five years by Nazi Germany (1940-45). In 1949, neutrality was abandoned and Norway became a member of NATO. Discovery of oil and gas in adjacent waters in the late 1960s boosted Norway's economic fortunes. In referenda held in 1972 and 1994, Norway rejected joining the EU. Key domestic issues include immigration and integration of ethnic minorities, maintaining the country's extensive social safety net with an aging population, and preserving economic competitiveness.
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