If you lived in Italy instead of Rwanda, you would:

Health

be 85.0% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Rwanda, 2.0% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Italy, that number is 0.3% of people as of 2024.

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live 15.9 years longer

In Rwanda, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024. In Italy, that number is 84 years (82 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 28.2 times more spent on your healthcare

Rwanda spends $177 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Italy spends $4,993 as of 2024.

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have 46.6 times more doctors per person

Rwanda has 0.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Italy has 41.9 as of 2022.

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have 71.4% more access to essential health services

Rwanda scores 49 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Italy scores 84 as of 2021.

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be 19.5% less likely to die by suicide

Rwanda has a suicide rate of 8.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Italy, it is 7.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 2.5 times more likely to be obese

In Rwanda, 5.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Italy, that number is 14.0% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

be 43.8% less likely to be unemployed

In Rwanda, 11.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Italy, that number is 6.4% as of 2025.

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be 26.6% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Rwanda, 27.4% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Italy, however, that number is 20.1% as of 2021.

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make 38.5 times more money

Rwanda has a GDP per capita of $1,124 as of 2025, while in Italy, the GDP per capita is $43,309 as of 2025.

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Life

be 97.4% less likely to die during childbirth

In Rwanda, approximately 229.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Italy, 6.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 26.1% more likely to be literate

In Rwanda, the literacy rate is 78.8% as of 2022. In Italy, it is 99.3% as of 2019.

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be 92.2% less likely to die during infancy

In Rwanda, approximately 29.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Italy, on the other hand, 2.3 children do as of 2024.

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have 77.5% fewer children

In Rwanda, there are approximately 28.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Italy, there are 6.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 56.5% more likely to have access to electricity

In Rwanda, approximately 64% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 58% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Italy, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 2.8 times more likely to have internet access

In Rwanda, approximately 31.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Italy, about 89.2% do as of 2024.

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be 62.8% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Rwanda, approximately 61% of people have access to drinking water (88% in urban areas, and 56% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Italy, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 11.7% less on education

Rwanda spends 4.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Italy spends 4.1% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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spend 64.5% more on healthcare

Rwanda spends 5.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Italy, that number is 8.4% of GDP as of 2024.

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Safety

be 84.2% less likely to be murdered

Rwanda has a homicide rate of 3.6 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Italy, that number is 0.6 per 100,000 as of 2023.

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be 56.9% less likely to die in a road accident

In Rwanda, road accidents kill 11.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Italy, they kill 5.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 53.0 times more home broadband

Rwanda has 0.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Italy has 31.8 as of 2024.

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use 67.0 times more electricity

Rwanda uses 77 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Italy uses 5,137 kWh as of 2024.

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live with 47.4% more strain on fresh water

Rwanda withdraws 20% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Italy withdraws 30% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 75.8% less likely to die from air pollution

In Rwanda, air pollution causes 62.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Italy, it causes 15.0 as of 2019.

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emit 31.8 times more CO2

Rwanda emits 0.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Italy emits 5.1 tonnes as of 2024.

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

Italy: At a glance

Italy is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 294,140 sq km. Italy became a nation-state in 1861 when the regional states of the peninsula, along with Sardinia and Sicily, were united under King Victor EMMANUEL II. An era of parliamentary government came to a close in the early 1920s when Benito MUSSOLINI established a Fascist dictatorship. His alliance with Nazi Germany led to Italy's defeat in World War II. A democratic republic replaced the monarchy in 1946 and economic revival followed. Italy is a charter member of NATO and the European Economic Community (EEC). It has been at the forefront of European economic and political unification, joining the Economic and Monetary Union in 1999. Persistent problems include sluggish economic growth, high youth and female unemployment, organized crime, corruption, and economic disparities between southern Italy and the more prosperous north.
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How big is Italy compared to Rwanda? See an in-depth size comparison.

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