Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Macedonia instead of Norway, you would:
Health
be 56.2% less likely to die by suicide
Norway has a suicide rate of 13.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Macedonia, it is 5.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 6.5 years less
In Norway, the average life expectancy is 83 years (82 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024. In Macedonia, that number is 77 years (74 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024.
be 32.9% more likely to be obese
In Norway, 20.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Macedonia, that number is 26.8% of people as of 2024.
see 81.0% less spent on your healthcare
Norway spends $9,523 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Macedonia spends $1,808 as of 2023.
have 40.8% fewer doctors per person
Norway has 49.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Macedonia has 29.4 as of 2022.
have 14.9% less access to essential health services
Norway scores 87 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Macedonia scores 74 as of 2021.
Economy
be 2.6 times more likely to be unemployed
In Norway, 4.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Macedonia, that number is 12.3% as of 2025.
be 79.5% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Norway, 12.2% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Macedonia, however, that number is 21.9% as of 2023.
make 88.9% less money
Norway has a GDP per capita of $94,594 as of 2025, while in Macedonia, the GDP per capita is $10,490 as of 2025.
Life
be 3.0 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Norway, approximately 1.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Macedonia, 3.0 women do as of 2023.
be 25.0% more likely to die during infancy
In Norway, approximately 2.0 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Macedonia, on the other hand, 2.5 children do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 21.2% less on healthcare
Norway spends 9.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Macedonia, that number is 7.4% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 2.1 times more likely to be murdered
Norway has a homicide rate of 0.7 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Macedonia, that number is 1.5 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 3.8 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Norway, road accidents kill 1.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Macedonia, they kill 5.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 33.8% less home broadband
Norway has 45.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Macedonia has 29.9 as of 2024.
live with 25.8 times more strain on fresh water
Norway withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Macedonia withdraws 53% as of 2022.
use 86.0% less electricity
Norway uses 23,673 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Macedonia uses 3,320 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 44.3% less CO2
Norway emits 7.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Macedonia emits 4.0 tonnes as of 2024.
be 7.8 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Norway, air pollution causes 8.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Macedonia, it causes 62.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Norway vs. Macedonia
Macedonia: At a glance
How big is Macedonia compared to Norway? See an in-depth size comparison.