If you lived in Romania instead of Russia, you would:

Health

live 3.0 years longer

In Russia, the average life expectancy is 73 years (68 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024. In Romania, that number is 76 years (73 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 55.0% less likely to die by suicide

Russia has a suicide rate of 21.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Romania, it is 9.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 84.1% more likely to be obese

In Russia, 17.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Romania, that number is 32.4% of people as of 2024.

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see 18.4% less spent on your healthcare

Russia spends $3,204 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Romania spends $2,614 as of 2023.

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have 29.1% fewer doctors per person

Russia has 51.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Romania has 36.2 as of 2022.

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Economy

make 28.4% more money

Russia has a GDP per capita of $17,547 as of 2025, while in Romania, the GDP per capita is $22,538 as of 2025.

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be 2.8 times more likely to be unemployed

In Russia, 2.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Romania, that number is 6.0% as of 2025.

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be 2.6 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In Russia, 7.2% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Romania, however, that number is 18.4% as of 2024.

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Life

be 33.3% more likely to die during childbirth

In Russia, approximately 9.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Romania, 12.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 46.3% more likely to die during infancy

In Russia, approximately 4.1 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Romania, on the other hand, 6.0 children do as of 2024.

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have 10.7% fewer children

In Russia, there are approximately 8.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Romania, there are 7.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 21.2% less on education

Russia spends 4.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Romania spends 3.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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spend 18.9% less on healthcare

Russia spends 7.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Romania, that number is 5.7% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 99.4% less coastline

Russia has a total of 37,653 km of coastline. In Romania, that number is 225 km.

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Safety

be 83.6% less likely to be murdered

Russia has a homicide rate of 6.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Romania, that number is 1.1 per 100,000 as of 2023.

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Infrastructure

find 32.0% more home broadband

Russia has 27.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Romania has 35.8 as of 2024.

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live with 85.2% more strain on fresh water

Russia withdraws 4% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Romania withdraws 8% as of 2022.

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use 64.5% less electricity

Russia uses 7,285 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Romania uses 2,585 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

emit 73.4% less CO2

Russia emits 14.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Romania emits 3.7 tonnes as of 2024.

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be 17.9% more likely to die from air pollution

In Russia, air pollution causes 39.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Romania, it causes 46.0 as of 2019.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators (2019). How we calculate this

Romania: At a glance

Romania is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 229,891 sq km. The principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia - for centuries under the suzerainty of the Turkish Ottoman Empire - secured their autonomy in 1856; they were de facto linked in 1859 and formally united in 1862 under the new name of Romania. The country gained recognition of its independence in 1878. It joined the Allied Powers in World War I and acquired new territories - most notably Transylvania - following the conflict. In 1940, Romania allied with the Axis powers and participated in the 1941 German invasion of the USSR. Three years later, overrun by the Soviets, Romania signed an armistice. The post-war Soviet occupation led to the formation of a communist "people's republic" in 1947 and the abdication of the king. The decades-long rule of dictator Nicolae CEAUSESCU, who took power in 1965, and his Securitate police state became increasingly oppressive and draconian through the 1980s. CEAUSESCU was overthrown and executed in late 1989. Former communists dominated the government until 1996 when they were swept from power. Romania joined NATO in 2004 and the EU in 2007.
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How big is Romania compared to Russia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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