Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Iceland instead of Sweden, you would:
Health
be 13.9% less likely to die by suicide
Sweden has a suicide rate of 13.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Iceland, it is 11.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 1.2 years less
In Sweden, the average life expectancy is 84 years (83 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2024. In Iceland, that number is 83 years (81 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024.
be 26.8% more likely to be obese
In Sweden, 17.5% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Iceland, that number is 22.2% of people as of 2024.
see 10.9% less spent on your healthcare
Sweden spends $7,770 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Iceland spends $6,927 as of 2024.
Economy
be 58.3% less likely to be unemployed
In Sweden, 8.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Iceland, that number is 3.6% as of 2025.
make 55.7% more money
Sweden has a GDP per capita of $63,133 as of 2025, while in Iceland, the GDP per capita is $98,323 as of 2025.
Life
be 25.0% less likely to die during childbirth
In Sweden, approximately 4.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Iceland, 3.0 women do as of 2023.
have 20.4% more children
In Sweden, there are approximately 9.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Iceland, there are 11.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 20.0% less on healthcare
Sweden spends 11.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Iceland, that number is 9.0% of GDP as of 2024.
Geography
see 54.4% more coastline
Sweden has a total of 3,218 km of coastline. In Iceland, that number is 4,970 km.
Safety
be 24.5% more likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Sweden, 73% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2022. In Iceland, that number is 91% as of 2022.
be 12.2% more likely to be murdered
Sweden has a homicide rate of 1.1 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Iceland, that number is 1.3 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 14.3% more likely to die in a road accident
In Sweden, road accidents kill 2.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Iceland, they kill 2.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 89.1% less strain on fresh water
Sweden withdraws 4% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Iceland withdraws 0% as of 2022.
use 4.0 times more electricity
Sweden uses 12,226 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Iceland uses 48,998 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
emit 2.4 times more CO2
Sweden emits 3.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Iceland emits 8.5 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Sweden vs. Iceland
Iceland: At a glance
How big is Iceland compared to Sweden? See an in-depth size comparison.