If you lived in Australia instead of Sri Lanka, you would:

Health

live 5.4 years longer

In Sri Lanka, the average life expectancy is 78 years (74 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024. In Australia, that number is 83 years (81 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 15.2 times more spent on your healthcare

Sri Lanka spends $507 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Australia spends $7,691 as of 2023.

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have 3.6 times more doctors per person

Sri Lanka has 11.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Australia has 40.9 as of 2022.

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have 29.9% more access to essential health services

Sri Lanka scores 67 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Australia scores 87 as of 2021.

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be 11.3% less likely to die by suicide

Sri Lanka has a suicide rate of 14.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Australia, it is 13.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 2.7 times more likely to be obese

In Sri Lanka, 11.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Australia, that number is 30.6% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

make 13.0 times more money

Sri Lanka has a GDP per capita of $5,002 as of 2025, while in Australia, the GDP per capita is $65,130 as of 2025.

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Life

be 88.9% less likely to die during childbirth

In Sri Lanka, approximately 18.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Australia, 2.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 40.4% less likely to die during infancy

In Sri Lanka, approximately 5.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Australia, on the other hand, 3.1 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 76.1% more likely to have internet access

In Sri Lanka, approximately 54.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Australia, about 96.1% do as of 2024.

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be 10.8% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Sri Lanka, approximately 90% of people have access to drinking water (98% in urban areas, and 88% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Australia, 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 2.8 times more on education

Sri Lanka spends 1.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Australia spends 5.1% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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spend 2.8 times more on healthcare

Sri Lanka spends 3.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Australia, that number is 10.4% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 19.2 times more coastline

Sri Lanka has a total of 1,340 km of coastline. In Australia, that number is 25,760 km.

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Safety

be 60.9% less likely to die in a road accident

In Sri Lanka, road accidents kill 11.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Australia, they kill 4.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 4.3 times more home broadband

Sri Lanka has 8.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Australia has 36.5 as of 2024.

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live with 94.9% less strain on fresh water

Sri Lanka withdraws 91% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Australia withdraws 5% as of 2022.

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use 15.2 times more electricity

Sri Lanka uses 644 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Australia uses 9,801 kWh as of 2024.

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Environment

be 73.0% less likely to die from air pollution

In Sri Lanka, air pollution causes 37.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Australia, it causes 10.0 as of 2019.

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emit 13.3 times more CO2

Sri Lanka emits 1.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Australia emits 14.1 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

Australia: At a glance

Australia is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 7,682,300 sq km. Prehistoric settlers arrived on the continent from Southeast Asia at least 40,000 years before the first Europeans began exploration in the 17th century. No formal territorial claims were made until 1770, when Capt. James COOK took possession of the east coast in the name of Great Britain (all of Australia was claimed as British territory in 1829 with the creation of the colony of Western Australia). Six colonies were created in the late 18th and 19th centuries; they federated and became the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. The new country took advantage of its natural resources to rapidly develop agricultural and manufacturing industries and to make a major contribution to the Allied effort in World Wars I and II. In recent decades, Australia has become an internationally competitive, advanced market economy due in large part to economic reforms adopted in the 1980s and its location in one of the fastest growing regions of the world economy. Long-term concerns include aging of the population, pressure on infrastructure, and environmental issues such as floods, droughts, and bushfires. Australia is the driest inhabited continent on earth, making it particularly vulnerable to the challenges of climate change. Australia is home to 10 per cent of the world's biodiversity, and a great number of its flora and fauna exist nowhere else in the world. In January 2013, Australia assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2013-14 term.
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