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

Health

see 13.5% more spent on your healthcare

Serbia spends $2,303 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Romania spends $2,614 as of 2023.

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have 17.0% more doctors per person

Serbia has 31.0 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Romania has 36.2 as of 2022.

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be 36.5% less likely to die by suicide

Serbia has a suicide rate of 15.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Romania, it is 9.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 48.4% more likely to be obese

In Serbia, 21.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Romania, that number is 32.4% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

be 15.9% less likely to be unemployed

In Serbia, 7.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Romania, that number is 6.0% as of 2025.

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make 47.7% more money

Serbia has a GDP per capita of $15,262 as of 2025, while in Romania, the GDP per capita is $22,538 as of 2025.

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Life

be 30.4% more likely to die during infancy

In Serbia, approximately 4.6 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 18.5% fewer children

In Serbia, there are approximately 9.2 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 28.9% less on healthcare

Serbia spends 8.0% 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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Safety

be 15.3% less likely to be murdered

Serbia has a homicide rate of 1.3 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Romania, that number is 1.1 per 100,000 as of 2023.

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be 29.7% more likely to die in a road accident

In Serbia, road accidents kill 7.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Romania, they kill 9.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

live with 32.9% more strain on fresh water

Serbia withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Romania withdraws 8% as of 2022.

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use 49.2% less electricity

Serbia uses 5,090 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Romania uses 2,585 kWh as of 2023.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). 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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