Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Turkmenistan instead of Norway, you would:
Health
be 48.2% less likely to die by suicide
Norway has a suicide rate of 13.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Turkmenistan, it is 6.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 13.0 years less
In Norway, the average life expectancy is 83 years (82 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, that number is 70 years (67 years for men, 73 years for women) as of 2024.
be 10.1% more likely to be obese
In Norway, 20.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, that number is 22.2% of people as of 2024.
see 86.7% less spent on your healthcare
Norway spends $9,523 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Turkmenistan spends $1,264 as of 2023.
have 61.2% fewer doctors per person
Norway has 49.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Turkmenistan has 19.3 as of 2023.
have 13.8% less access to essential health services
Norway scores 87 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Turkmenistan scores 75 as of 2021.
Economy
make 93.1% less money
Norway has a GDP per capita of $94,594 as of 2025, while in Turkmenistan, the GDP per capita is $6,540 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.2 times more children
In Norway, there are approximately 9.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 5.0 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 Turkmenistan, 5.0 women do as of 2023.
be 15.2 times 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 Turkmenistan, on the other hand, 30.4 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 74.4% less likely to have internet access
In Norway, approximately 99.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, about 25.3% do as of 2022.
Expenditures
spend 21.0% less on education
Norway spends 5.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Turkmenistan spends 4.3% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 41.7% less on healthcare
Norway spends 9.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Turkmenistan, that number is 5.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 5.3 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Norway, road accidents kill 1.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Turkmenistan, they kill 8.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 88.4% less home broadband
Norway has 45.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Turkmenistan has 5.2 as of 2022.
live with 66.3 times more strain on fresh water
Norway withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Turkmenistan withdraws 135% as of 2022.
use 88.3% less electricity
Norway uses 23,673 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Turkmenistan uses 2,778 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 10.9 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Norway, air pollution causes 8.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Turkmenistan, it causes 87.0 as of 2019.
emit 51.3% more CO2
Norway emits 7.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Turkmenistan emits 10.9 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2022). How we calculate this
Compare further: Norway vs. Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan: At a glance
How big is Turkmenistan compared to Norway? See an in-depth size comparison.