Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Spain instead of Pennsylvania, you would:

Health

live 5.8 years longer

In Pennsylvania, the average life expectancy is 77 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2020. In Spain, that number is 83 years (80 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022.

View global rankings →

Economy

make 24.6% less money

Pennsylvania has a GDP per capita of $61,506 as of 2024, while in Spain, the GDP per capita is $46,400 as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 3.3 times more likely to be unemployed

In Pennsylvania, 3.7% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Spain, that number is 12.1% as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 78.8% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Pennsylvania, 11.3% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Spain, however, that number is 20.2% as of 2022.

View global rankings →

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, OECD Regional Demography, Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Compare further: Pennsylvania vs. Spain
Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Spain is 19.7% cheaper than Pennsylvania
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Pennsylvania is about 4.3 times smaller than Spain.
→
City Size Comparison · See true size
Compare the size of Los Angeles vs Madrid
→

Spain: At a glance

Spain is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 498,980 sq km. Spain's powerful world empire of the 16th and 17th centuries ultimately yielded command of the seas to England. Subsequent failure to embrace the mercantile and industrial revolutions caused the country to fall behind Britain, France, and Germany in economic and political power. Spain remained neutral in World War I and II but suffered through a devastating civil war (1936-39). A peaceful transition to democracy following the death of dictator Francisco FRANCO in 1975, and rapid economic modernization (Spain joined the EU in 1986) gave Spain a dynamic and rapidly growing economy and made it a global champion of freedom and human rights. More recently the government has had to focus on measures to reverse a severe economic recession that began in mid-2008. Austerity measures implemented to reduce a large budget deficit and reassure foreign investors have led to one of the highest unemployment rates in Europe.
Read more

How big is Spain compared to Pennsylvania? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

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