If you lived in Uruguay instead of Saudi Arabia, you would:

Health

be 12.8% less likely to be obese

In Saudi Arabia, 40.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Uruguay, that number is 35.0% of people as of 2024.

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have 37.2% more doctors per person

Saudi Arabia has 34.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Uruguay has 46.7 as of 2022.

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have 10.8% more access to essential health services

Saudi Arabia scores 74 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Uruguay scores 82 as of 2021.

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be 26.1 times more likely to die by suicide

Saudi Arabia has a suicide rate of 0.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Uruguay, it is 24.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 2.5 times more likely to be unemployed

In Saudi Arabia, 3.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Uruguay, that number is 7.5% as of 2025.

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make 27.0% less money

Saudi Arabia has a GDP per capita of $34,537 as of 2025, while in Uruguay, the GDP per capita is $25,216 as of 2025.

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Life

be 2.1 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Saudi Arabia, approximately 7.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Uruguay, 15.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 31.9% more likely to die during infancy

In Saudi Arabia, approximately 4.7 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Uruguay, on the other hand, 6.2 children do as of 2024.

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have 40.6% fewer children

In Saudi Arabia, there are approximately 16.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Uruguay, there are 9.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 58.5% more on healthcare

Saudi Arabia spends 5.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Uruguay, that number is 9.0% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 75.0% less coastline

Saudi Arabia has a total of 2,640 km of coastline. In Uruguay, that number is 660 km.

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Safety

be 29.7% less likely to die in a road accident

In Saudi Arabia, road accidents kill 18.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Uruguay, they kill 13.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

live with 98.8% less strain on fresh water

Saudi Arabia withdraws 974% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Uruguay withdraws 12% as of 2022.

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find 25.0% less home broadband

Saudi Arabia has 44.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Uruguay has 33.0 as of 2024.

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use 68.2% less electricity

Saudi Arabia uses 11,911 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Uruguay uses 3,790 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

be 82.4% less likely to die from air pollution

In Saudi Arabia, air pollution causes 91.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Uruguay, it causes 16.0 as of 2019.

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emit 86.1% less CO2

Saudi Arabia emits 18.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Uruguay emits 2.6 tonnes as of 2024.

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

Uruguay: At a glance

Uruguay is a sovereign country in South America, with a total land area of approximately 175,015 sq km. Montevideo, founded by the Spanish in 1726 as a military stronghold, soon took advantage of its natural harbor to become an important commercial center. Claimed by Argentina but annexed by Brazil in 1821, Uruguay declared its independence four years later and secured its freedom in 1828 after a three-year struggle. The administrations of President Jose BATLLE in the early 20th century launched widespread political, social, and economic reforms that established a statist tradition. A violent Marxist urban guerrilla movement named the Tupamaros, launched in the late 1960s, led Uruguay's president to cede control of the government to the military in 1973. By yearend, the rebels had been crushed, but the military continued to expand its hold over the government. Civilian rule was not restored until 1985. In 2004, the left-of-center Frente Amplio Coalition won national elections that effectively ended 170 years of political control previously held by the Colorado and Blanco parties. Uruguay's political and labor conditions are among the freest on the continent.
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