If you lived in Romania instead of Turkmenistan, you would:

Health

live 6.3 years longer

In Turkmenistan, the average life expectancy is 70 years (67 years for men, 73 years for women) as of 2024. In Romania, that number is 76 years (73 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024.

View global rankings →

see 2.1 times more spent on your healthcare

Turkmenistan spends $1,264 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Romania spends $2,614 as of 2023.

View global rankings →

have 87.8% more doctors per person

Turkmenistan has 19.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Romania has 36.2 as of 2022.

View global rankings →

be 45.9% more likely to be obese

In Turkmenistan, 22.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Romania, that number is 32.4% of people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 40.8% more likely to die by suicide

Turkmenistan has a suicide rate of 6.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Romania, it is 9.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Economy

make 3.4 times more money

Turkmenistan has a GDP per capita of $6,540 as of 2025, while in Romania, the GDP per capita is $22,538 as of 2025.

View global rankings →

be 40.3% more likely to be unemployed

In Turkmenistan, 4.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Romania, that number is 6.0% as of 2025.

View global rankings →

Life

be 80.3% 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 Romania, on the other hand, 6.0 children do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 2.4 times more 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 Romania, 12.0 women do as of 2023.

View global rankings →

have 64.1% fewer children

In Turkmenistan, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Romania, there are 7.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Basic Needs

be 3.6 times more likely to have internet access

In Turkmenistan, approximately 25.3% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Romania, about 91.3% do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Expenditures

spend 23.5% less on education

Turkmenistan spends 4.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Romania spends 3.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

View global rankings →

Safety

be 20.0% more likely to die in a road accident

In Turkmenistan, road accidents kill 8.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Romania, they kill 9.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Infrastructure

find 6.9 times more home broadband

Turkmenistan has 5.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Romania has 35.8 as of 2024.

View global rankings →

live with 94.4% less strain on fresh water

Turkmenistan withdraws 135% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Romania withdraws 8% as of 2022.

View global rankings →

Environment

be 47.1% less likely to die from air pollution

In Turkmenistan, air pollution causes 87.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Romania, it causes 46.0 as of 2019.

View global rankings →

emit 65.7% less CO2

Turkmenistan emits 10.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Romania emits 3.7 tonnes as of 2024.

View global rankings →


Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2022). How we calculate this

Romania: At a glance

Romania is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 229,891 sq km. The principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia - for centuries under the suzerainty of the Turkish Ottoman Empire - secured their autonomy in 1856; they were de facto linked in 1859 and formally united in 1862 under the new name of Romania. The country gained recognition of its independence in 1878. It joined the Allied Powers in World War I and acquired new territories - most notably Transylvania - following the conflict. In 1940, Romania allied with the Axis powers and participated in the 1941 German invasion of the USSR. Three years later, overrun by the Soviets, Romania signed an armistice. The post-war Soviet occupation led to the formation of a communist "people's republic" in 1947 and the abdication of the king. The decades-long rule of dictator Nicolae CEAUSESCU, who took power in 1965, and his Securitate police state became increasingly oppressive and draconian through the 1980s. CEAUSESCU was overthrown and executed in late 1989. Former communists dominated the government until 1996 when they were swept from power. Romania joined NATO in 2004 and the EU in 2007.
Read more

How big is Romania compared to Turkmenistan? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Romania or Turkmenistan. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.