Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 16.7% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Russia, 1.2% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2017. In Ukraine, that number is 1.0% of people as of 2020.

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live 1.2 years longer

In Russia, the average life expectancy is 73 years (68 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024. In Ukraine, that number is 75 years (70 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 29.5% more likely to be obese

In Russia, 17.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Ukraine, that number is 22.8% of people as of 2024.

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see 56.9% less spent on your healthcare

Russia spends $3,204 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Ukraine spends $1,382 as of 2021.

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have 30.9% fewer doctors per person

Russia has 51.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Ukraine has 35.3 as of 2023.

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Economy

make 66.6% less money

Russia has a GDP per capita of $17,547 as of 2025, while in Ukraine, the GDP per capita is $5,866 as of 2025.

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Life

be 66.7% 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 Ukraine, 15.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 85.4% 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 Ukraine, on the other hand, 7.6 children do as of 2024.

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have 34.9% fewer children

In Russia, there are approximately 8.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Ukraine, there are 5.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 12.6% less likely to have internet access

In Russia, approximately 94.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Ukraine, about 82.5% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 23.6% more on education

Russia spends 4.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Ukraine spends 5.1% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

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spend 16.5% more on healthcare

Russia spends 7.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Ukraine, that number is 8.2% of GDP as of 2021.

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Geography

see 92.6% less coastline

Russia has a total of 37,653 km of coastline. In Ukraine, that number is 2,782 km.

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Safety

be 44.2% less likely to be murdered

Russia has a homicide rate of 6.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Ukraine, that number is 3.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 20.2% less home broadband

Russia has 27.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Ukraine has 21.6 as of 2024.

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live with 52.9% more strain on fresh water

Russia withdraws 4% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Ukraine withdraws 6% as of 2022.

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use 65.5% less electricity

Russia uses 7,285 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Ukraine uses 2,516 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

emit 77.6% less CO2

Russia emits 14.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Ukraine emits 3.1 tonnes as of 2024.

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be 69.2% more likely to die from air pollution

In Russia, air pollution causes 39.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Ukraine, it causes 66.0 as of 2019.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), The World Factbook (2017–2020), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019). How we calculate this

Compare further: Russia vs. Ukraine

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Ukraine is 24.4% cheaper than Russia overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Russia is about 28 times bigger than Ukraine.
→
Moving from Russia to Ukraine · UN DESA 2020
3,330,586 people born in Russia live in Ukraine.
→

Ukraine: At a glance

Ukraine is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 579,330 sq km. Ukraine was the center of the first eastern Slavic state, Kyivan Rus, which during the 10th and 11th centuries was the largest and most powerful state in Europe. Weakened by internecine quarrels and Mongol invasions, Kyivan Rus was incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and eventually into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The cultural and religious legacy of Kyivan Rus laid the foundation for Ukrainian nationalism through subsequent centuries. A new Ukrainian state, the Cossack Hetmanate, was established during the mid-17th century after an uprising against the Poles. Despite continuous Muscovite pressure, the Hetmanate managed to remain autonomous for well over 100 years. During the latter part of the 18th century, most Ukrainian ethnographic territory was absorbed by the Russian Empire. Following the collapse of czarist Russia in 1917, Ukraine was able to achieve a short-lived period of independence (1917-20), but was reconquered and forced to endure a brutal Soviet rule that engineered two forced famines (1921-22 and 1932-33) in which over 8 million died. In World War II, German and Soviet armies were responsible for some 7 to 8 million more deaths. Although final independence for Ukraine was achieved in 1991 with the dissolution of the USSR, democracy and prosperity remained elusive as the legacy of state control and endemic corruption stalled efforts at economic reform, privatization, and civil liberties. A peaceful mass protest "Orange Revolution" in the closing months of 2004 forced the authorities to overturn a rigged presidential election and to allow a new internationally monitored vote that swept into power a reformist slate under Viktor YUSHCHENKO. Subsequent internal squabbles in the YUSHCHENKO camp allowed his rival Viktor YANUKOVYCH to stage a comeback in parliamentary (Rada) elections and to become prime minister in August of 2006, and to be elected president in February 2010. In October 2012, Ukraine held Rada elections, widely criticized by Western observers as flawed due to use of government resources to favor ruling party candidates, interference with media access, and harassment of opposition candidates. President YANUKOVYCH's backtracking on a trade and cooperation agreement with the EU in November 2013 - in favor of closer economic ties with Russia - led to a three-month protest occupation of Kyiv's central square. The government's eventual use of force to break up the protest camp in February 2014 led to all out pitched battles, scores of deaths, international condemnation, and the president's abrupt departure to Russia. An interim government scheduled new presidential elections for 25 May 2014. On 1 March 2014, one week after the overthrow in Kyiv, Russian President PUTIN ordered the invasion of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula claiming the action was to protect ethnic Russians living there. On 16 March 2014, a "referendum" was held regarding the integration of Crimea into the Russian Federation. The "referendum" was condemned as illegitimate by the Ukrainian Government, the EU, the US, and the UN General Assembly. Russian forces now occupy Crimea and Russian authorities claim it as Russian territory. The Ukrainian Government asserts that Crimea remains part of Ukraine.
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