If you lived in Iceland instead of Saint Lucia, you would:

Health

live 10.0 years longer

In Saint Lucia, the average life expectancy is 73 years (69 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2024. In Iceland, that number is 83 years (81 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 36.2% less likely to be obese

In Saint Lucia, 34.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Iceland, that number is 22.2% of people as of 2024.

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see 5.6 times more spent on your healthcare

Saint Lucia spends $1,228 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Iceland spends $6,927 as of 2024.

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have 15.6% more access to essential health services

Saint Lucia scores 77 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Iceland scores 89 as of 2021.

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be 2.3 times more likely to die by suicide

Saint Lucia has a suicide rate of 5.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Iceland, it is 11.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 61.7% less likely to be unemployed

In Saint Lucia, 9.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Iceland, that number is 3.6% as of 2025.

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be 64.8% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Saint Lucia, 25.0% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Iceland, however, that number is 8.8% as of 2017.

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make 6.7 times more money

Saint Lucia has a GDP per capita of $14,746 as of 2025, while in Iceland, the GDP per capita is $98,323 as of 2025.

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Life

be 93.2% less likely to die during childbirth

In Saint Lucia, approximately 44.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Iceland, 3.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 86.7% less likely to die during infancy

In Saint Lucia, approximately 15.8 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Iceland, on the other hand, 2.1 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 44.0% more likely to have internet access

In Saint Lucia, approximately 68.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Iceland, about 98.2% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 89.9% more on education

Saint Lucia spends 3.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Iceland spends 7.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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spend 89.9% more on healthcare

Saint Lucia spends 4.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Iceland, that number is 9.0% of GDP as of 2024.

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Geography

see 31.5 times more coastline

Saint Lucia has a total of 158 km of coastline. In Iceland, that number is 4,970 km.

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Safety

be 96.7% less likely to be murdered

Saint Lucia has a homicide rate of 39.0 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Iceland, that number is 1.3 per 100,000 as of 2023.

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be 73.0% less likely to die in a road accident

In Saint Lucia, road accidents kill 8.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Iceland, they kill 2.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 2.8 times more home broadband

Saint Lucia has 13.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Iceland has 37.5 as of 2024.

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live with 97.3% less strain on fresh water

Saint Lucia withdraws 14% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Iceland withdraws 0% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 60.0% less likely to die from air pollution

In Saint Lucia, air pollution causes 20.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Iceland, it causes 8.0 as of 2019.

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emit 5.0 times more CO2

Saint Lucia emits 1.7 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Iceland emits 8.5 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2017–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2016), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Iceland: At a glance

Iceland is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 100,250 sq km. Settled by Norwegian and Celtic (Scottish and Irish) immigrants during the late 9th and 10th centuries A.D., Iceland boasts the world's oldest functioning legislative assembly, the Althing, established in 930. Independent for over 300 years, Iceland was subsequently ruled by Norway and Denmark. Fallout from the Askja volcano of 1875 devastated the Icelandic economy and caused widespread famine. Over the next quarter century, 20% of the island's population emigrated, mostly to Canada and the US. Denmark granted limited home rule in 1874 and complete independence in 1944. The second half of the 20th century saw substantial economic growth driven primarily by the fishing industry. The economy diversified greatly after the country joined the European Economic Area in 1994, but Iceland was especially hard hit by the global financial crisis in the years following 2008. Literacy, longevity, and social cohesion are first rate by world standards.
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How big is Iceland compared to Saint Lucia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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