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live 19.3 years longer
In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 64 years (62 years for men, 65 years for women). In Iceland, that number is 83 years (81 years for men, 85 years for women).
In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 64 years (62 years for men, 65 years for women). In Iceland, that number is 83 years (81 years for men, 85 years for women).
In South Africa, 28.3% of adults are obese. In Iceland, that number is 21.9% of people.
South Africa has a GDP per capita of $13,500, while in Iceland, the GDP per capita is $51,800.
In South Africa, 27.6% of adults are unemployed. In Iceland, that number is 2.8%.
In South Africa, approximately 138.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor. In Iceland, 3.0 women do.
In South Africa, approximately 31.0 children die before they reach the age of one. In Iceland, on the other hand, 2.1 children do.
In South Africa, there are approximately 20.2 babies per 1,000 people. In Iceland, there are 13.7 babies per 1,000 people.
In South Africa, 85% of the population has electricity access. In Iceland, 100% of the population do.
In South Africa, approximately 54.0% of the population has internet access. In Iceland, about 98.2% do.
South Africa spends 5.9% of its total GDP on education. Iceland spends 7.8% of total GDP on education.
South Africa has a total of 2,798 km of coastline. In Iceland, that number is 4,970 km.
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.
How big is Iceland compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.
The statistics on this page were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.
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