Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Kazakhstan instead of Sweden, you would:
Health
live 9.5 years less
In Sweden, the average life expectancy is 84 years (83 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2024. In Kazakhstan, that number is 75 years (70 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024.
be 20.5% more likely to be obese
In Sweden, 17.5% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Kazakhstan, that number is 21.1% of people as of 2024.
see 81.2% less spent on your healthcare
Sweden spends $7,770 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Kazakhstan spends $1,460 as of 2023.
have 14.8% fewer doctors per person
Sweden has 44.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Kazakhstan has 37.5 as of 2023.
Economy
be 45.1% less likely to be unemployed
In Sweden, 8.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Kazakhstan, that number is 4.8% as of 2025.
be 68.9% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Sweden, 16.1% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Kazakhstan, however, that number is 5.0% as of 2024.
make 76.7% less money
Sweden has a GDP per capita of $63,133 as of 2025, while in Kazakhstan, the GDP per capita is $14,692 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.1 times more children
In Sweden, there are approximately 9.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Kazakhstan, there are 19.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 2.5 times more 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 Kazakhstan, 10.0 women do as of 2023.
be 3.7 times more likely to die during infancy
In Sweden, approximately 2.0 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Kazakhstan, on the other hand, 7.4 children do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 33.6% less on education
Sweden spends 7.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Kazakhstan spends 4.9% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 66.4% less on healthcare
Sweden spends 11.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Kazakhstan, that number is 3.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 2.2 times more likely to be murdered
Sweden has a homicide rate of 1.1 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Kazakhstan, that number is 2.5 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 5.8 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Sweden, road accidents kill 2.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Kazakhstan, they kill 12.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 62.3% less home broadband
Sweden has 40.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Kazakhstan has 15.3 as of 2024.
live with 9.7 times more strain on fresh water
Sweden withdraws 4% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Kazakhstan withdraws 35% as of 2022.
use 57.9% less electricity
Sweden uses 12,226 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Kazakhstan uses 5,146 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 8.5 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Sweden, air pollution causes 8.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Kazakhstan, it causes 68.0 as of 2019.
emit 3.5 times more CO2
Sweden emits 3.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Kazakhstan emits 12.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Sweden vs. Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan: At a glance
How big is Kazakhstan compared to Sweden? See an in-depth size comparison.