Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Libya instead of Puerto Rico, you would:

Health

be 20.6% less likely to be obese

In Puerto Rico, 42.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Libya, that number is 33.7% of people as of 2024.

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live 10.8 years less

In Puerto Rico, the average life expectancy is 82 years (78 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024. In Libya, that number is 71 years (70 years for men, 73 years for women) as of 2024.

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Economy

be 3.1 times more likely to be unemployed

In Puerto Rico, 6.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Libya, that number is 18.8% as of 2025.

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make 84.1% less money

Puerto Rico has a GDP per capita of $40,620 as of 2025, while in Libya, the GDP per capita is $6,449 as of 2025.

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Life

have 2.9 times more children

In Puerto Rico, there are approximately 5.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Libya, there are 16.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 5.4 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Puerto Rico, approximately 11.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Libya, 59.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 30.8% more likely to die during infancy

In Puerto Rico, approximately 6.0 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Libya, on the other hand, 7.9 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 26.8% less likely to have access to electricity

In Puerto Rico, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Libya, that number is 73% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 96% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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Geography

see 3.5 times more coastline

Puerto Rico has a total of 501 km of coastline. In Libya, that number is 1,770 km.

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Safety

be 2.7 times more likely to die in a road accident

In Puerto Rico, road accidents kill 12.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Libya, they kill 34.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 83.9% less home broadband

Puerto Rico has 28.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Libya has 4.5 as of 2022.

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live with 41.8 times more strain on fresh water

Puerto Rico withdraws 20% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Libya withdraws 817% as of 2022.

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Environment

emit 79.7% more CO2

Puerto Rico emits 4.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Libya emits 8.7 tonnes as of 2024.

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

Compare further: Puerto Rico vs. Libya

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Libya is 77.5% cheaper than Puerto Rico overall
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Size Comparison · See true size
Puerto Rico is about 193 times smaller than Libya.
→
Moving from Puerto Rico to Libya · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
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Libya: At a glance

Libya is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 1,759,540 sq km. The Italians supplanted the Ottoman Turks in the area around Tripoli in 1911 and did not relinquish their hold until 1943 when defeated in World War II. Libya then passed to UN administration and achieved independence in 1951. Following a 1969 military coup, Col. Muammar al-QADHAFI assumed leadership and began to espouse his political system at home, which was a combination of socialism and Islam. During the 1970s, QADHAFI used oil revenues to promote his ideology outside Libya, supporting subversive and terrorist activities that included the downing of two airliners - one over Scotland, another in Northern Africa - and a discotheque bombing in Berlin. UN sanctions in 1992 isolated QADHAFI politically and economically following the attacks; sanctions were lifted in 2003 following Libyan acceptance of responsibility for the bombings and agreement to claimant compensation. QADHAFI also agreed to end Libya's program to develop weapons of mass destruction, and he made significant strides in normalizing relations with Western nations. Unrest that began in several Middle Eastern and North African countries in late 2010 erupted in Libyan cities in early 2011. QADHAFI's brutal crackdown on protesters spawned a civil war that triggered UN authorization of air and naval intervention by the international community. After months of seesaw fighting between government and opposition forces, the QADHAFI regime was toppled in mid-2011 and replaced by a transitional government. Libya in 2012 formed a new parliament and elected a new prime minister.
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How big is Libya compared to Puerto Rico? See an in-depth size comparison.

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