Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Cook Islands instead of United Kingdom, you would:

Health

live 4.2 years less

In United Kingdom, the average life expectancy is 81 years (80 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2024. In Cook Islands, that number is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2022.

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be 2.6 times more likely to be obese

In United Kingdom, 27.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Cook Islands, that number is 72.4% of people as of 2024.

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have 47.7% less access to essential health services

United Kingdom scores 88 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Cook Islands scores 46 as of 2021.

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Life

have 22.3% more children

In United Kingdom, there are approximately 9.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Cook Islands, there are 12.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 3.9 times more likely to die during infancy

In United Kingdom, approximately 4.1 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Cook Islands, on the other hand, 15.9 children do as of 2022.

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Basic Needs

be 32.1% less likely to have internet access

In United Kingdom, approximately 95.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Cook Islands, about 64.8% do as of 2021.

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Expenditures

spend 22.2% less on education

United Kingdom spends 5.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Cook Islands spends 4.6% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

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Geography

see 99.0% less coastline

United Kingdom has a total of 12,429 km of coastline. In Cook Islands, that number is 120 km.

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Safety

be 7.3 times more likely to die in a road accident

In United Kingdom, road accidents kill 2.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Cook Islands, they kill 17.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 56.8% less home broadband

United Kingdom has 42.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Cook Islands has 18.2 as of 2022.

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

Compare further: United Kingdom vs. Cook Islands

Cost of Living Comparison · 5 categories - 2026 data
Cook Islands is 37.9% cheaper than United Kingdom overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
United Kingdom is about 1,032 times bigger than Cook Islands.
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Moving from United Kingdom to Cook Islands · UN DESA 2020
98 people born in United Kingdom live in Cook Islands.
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Cook Islands: At a glance

Cook Islands is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 236 sq km. Named after Captain COOK, who sighted them in 1770, the islands became a British protectorate in 1888. By 1900, administrative control was transferred to New Zealand; in 1965, residents chose self-government in free association with New Zealand. The emigration of skilled workers to New Zealand and government deficits are continuing problems.
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How big is Cook Islands compared to United Kingdom? See an in-depth size comparison.

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