Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Iceland instead of Turkmenistan, you would:
Health
live 12.6 years longer
In Turkmenistan, the average life expectancy is 70 years (67 years for men, 73 years for women) as of 2024. In Iceland, that number is 83 years (81 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024.
see 5.5 times more spent on your healthcare
Turkmenistan spends $1,264 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Iceland spends $6,927 as of 2024.
have 2.3 times more doctors per person
Turkmenistan has 19.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Iceland has 43.7 as of 2023.
have 18.7% more access to essential health services
Turkmenistan scores 75 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Iceland scores 89 as of 2021.
be 74.4% more likely to die by suicide
Turkmenistan has a suicide rate of 6.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Iceland, it is 11.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 15.2% less likely to be unemployed
In Turkmenistan, 4.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Iceland, that number is 3.6% as of 2025.
make 15.0 times more money
Turkmenistan has a GDP per capita of $6,540 as of 2025, while in Iceland, the GDP per capita is $98,323 as of 2025.
Life
be 40.0% less likely to die during childbirth
In Turkmenistan, approximately 5.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Iceland, 3.0 women do as of 2023.
be 93.1% less likely to die during infancy
In Turkmenistan, approximately 30.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Iceland, on the other hand, 2.1 children do as of 2024.
have 46.4% fewer children
In Turkmenistan, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Iceland, there are 11.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 3.9 times more likely to have internet access
In Turkmenistan, approximately 25.3% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Iceland, about 98.2% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 70.4% more on education
Turkmenistan spends 4.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Iceland spends 7.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 63.3% more on healthcare
Turkmenistan spends 5.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Iceland, that number is 9.0% of GDP as of 2024.
Safety
be 70.0% less likely to die in a road accident
In Turkmenistan, road accidents kill 8.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Iceland, they kill 2.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 7.2 times more home broadband
Turkmenistan has 5.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Iceland has 37.5 as of 2024.
live with 99.7% less strain on fresh water
Turkmenistan withdraws 135% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Iceland withdraws 0% as of 2022.
use 17.6 times more electricity
Turkmenistan uses 2,778 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Iceland uses 48,998 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 90.8% less likely to die from air pollution
In Turkmenistan, air pollution causes 87.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Iceland, it causes 8.0 as of 2019.
emit 21.5% less CO2
Turkmenistan emits 10.9 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 (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2022). How we calculate this
Compare further: Turkmenistan vs. Iceland
Iceland: At a glance
How big is Iceland compared to Turkmenistan? See an in-depth size comparison.