Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Syria instead of United Kingdom, you would:
Health
be 93.8% less likely to die by suicide
United Kingdom has a suicide rate of 9.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Syria, it is 0.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 8.8 years less
In United Kingdom, the average life expectancy is 81 years (80 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2024. In Syria, that number is 73 years (70 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024.
be 20.5% more likely to be obese
In United Kingdom, 27.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Syria, that number is 33.0% of people as of 2024.
see 98.1% less spent on your healthcare
United Kingdom spends $6,606 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Syria spends $122 as of 2023.
have 53.9% fewer doctors per person
United Kingdom has 33.0 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Syria has 15.2 as of 2021.
have 27.3% less access to essential health services
United Kingdom scores 88 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Syria scores 64 as of 2021.
Economy
be 2.9 times more likely to be unemployed
In United Kingdom, 4.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Syria, that number is 13.6% as of 2025.
be 4.4 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In United Kingdom, 18.6% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Syria, however, that number is 82.5% as of 2014.
make 98.2% less money
United Kingdom has a GDP per capita of $57,602 as of 2025, while in Syria, the GDP per capita is $1,057 as of 2022.
Life
have 2.3 times more children
In United Kingdom, there are approximately 9.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Syria, there are 23.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 2.5 times more likely to die during childbirth
In United Kingdom, approximately 8.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Syria, 20.0 women do as of 2023.
be 4.3 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 Syria, on the other hand, 17.7 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 11.6% less likely to have access to electricity
In United Kingdom, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Syria, that number is 88% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 73% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 51.2% less likely to have internet access
In United Kingdom, approximately 95.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Syria, about 46.6% do as of 2022.
Expenditures
spend 75.7% less on healthcare
United Kingdom spends 11.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Syria, that number is 2.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 98.4% less coastline
United Kingdom has a total of 12,429 km of coastline. In Syria, that number is 193 km.
Safety
be 12.5 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 Syria, they kill 29.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 83.7% less home broadband
United Kingdom has 42.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Syria has 6.9 as of 2023.
live with 8.7 times more strain on fresh water
United Kingdom withdraws 14% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Syria withdraws 124% as of 2022.
use 79.6% less electricity
United Kingdom uses 4,195 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Syria uses 854 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 69.9% less CO2
United Kingdom emits 4.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Syria emits 1.3 tonnes as of 2024.
be 6.4 times more likely to die from air pollution
In United Kingdom, air pollution causes 13.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Syria, it causes 83.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2017–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2014–2022), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: United Kingdom vs. Syria
Syria: At a glance
How big is Syria compared to United Kingdom? See an in-depth size comparison.