Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Turkmenistan instead of Sweden, you would:
Health
be 50.7% less likely to die by suicide
Sweden has a suicide rate of 13.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Turkmenistan, it is 6.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 13.9 years less
In Sweden, the average life expectancy is 84 years (83 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, that number is 70 years (67 years for men, 73 years for women) as of 2024.
be 26.9% more likely to be obese
In Sweden, 17.5% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, that number is 22.2% of people as of 2024.
see 83.7% less spent on your healthcare
Sweden spends $7,770 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Turkmenistan spends $1,264 as of 2023.
have 56.2% fewer doctors per person
Sweden has 44.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Turkmenistan has 19.3 as of 2023.
have 11.8% less access to essential health services
Sweden scores 85 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Turkmenistan scores 75 as of 2021.
Economy
be 50.9% less likely to be unemployed
In Sweden, 8.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Turkmenistan, that number is 4.3% as of 2025.
make 89.6% less money
Sweden has a GDP per capita of $63,133 as of 2025, while in Turkmenistan, the GDP per capita is $6,540 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.2 times more children
In Sweden, there are approximately 9.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 25.0% 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 Turkmenistan, 5.0 women do as of 2023.
be 15.2 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 Turkmenistan, on the other hand, 30.4 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 73.6% less likely to have internet access
In Sweden, approximately 95.8% of the population has internet access as of 2025. In Turkmenistan, about 25.3% do as of 2022.
Expenditures
spend 41.4% less on education
Sweden spends 7.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Turkmenistan spends 4.3% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 51.0% less on healthcare
Sweden spends 11.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, that number is 5.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 3.8 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Sweden, road accidents kill 2.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Turkmenistan, they kill 8.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 87.1% less home broadband
Sweden has 40.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Turkmenistan has 5.2 as of 2022.
live with 37.8 times more strain on fresh water
Sweden withdraws 4% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Turkmenistan withdraws 135% as of 2022.
use 77.3% less electricity
Sweden uses 12,226 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Turkmenistan uses 2,778 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 10.9 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Sweden, air pollution causes 8.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Turkmenistan, it causes 87.0 as of 2019.
emit 3.0 times more CO2
Sweden emits 3.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Turkmenistan emits 10.9 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2022). How we calculate this
Compare further: Sweden vs. Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan: At a glance
How big is Turkmenistan compared to Sweden? See an in-depth size comparison.