Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Canada instead of United States, you would:

Health

live 3.1 years longer

In United States, the average life expectancy is 80 years (78 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020. In Canada, that number is 83 years (81 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2020.

be 18.8% less likely to be obese

In United States, 36.2% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Canada, that number is 29.4% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 37.7% less likely to live below the poverty line

In United States, 15.1% live below the poverty line as of 2010. In Canada, however, that number is 9.4% as of 2008.

pay a 16.7% lower top tax rate

United States has a top tax rate of 39.6% as of 2016. In Canada, the top tax rate is 33.0% as of 2016.

make 19.1% less money

United States has a GDP per capita of $59,800 as of 2017, while in Canada, the GDP per capita is $48,400 as of 2017.

be 43.2% more likely to be unemployed

In United States, 4.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2017. In Canada, that number is 6.3% as of 2017.

Life

be 47.4% less likely to die during childbirth

In United States, approximately 19.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Canada, 10.0 women do as of 2017.

be 18.9% less likely to die during infancy

In United States, approximately 5.3 children die before they reach the age of one as of 2020. In Canada, on the other hand, 4.3 children do as of 2020.

have 17.7% fewer children

In United States, there are approximately 12.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2020. In Canada, there are 10.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2020.

Geography

see 10.1 times more coastline

United States has a total of 19,924 km of coastline. In Canada, that number is 202,080 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Canada Revenue Agency, The World Factbook, Internal Revenue Service.

Canada: At a glance

Canada is a sovereign country in North America, with a total land area of approximately 9,093,507 sq km. A land of vast distances and rich natural resources, Canada became a self-governing dominion in 1867 while retaining ties to the British crown. Economically and technologically, the nation has developed in parallel with the US, its neighbor to the south across the world's longest unfortified border. Canada faces the political challenges of meeting public demands for quality improvements in health care, education, social services, and economic competitiveness, as well as responding to the particular concerns of predominantly francophone Quebec. Canada also aims to develop its diverse energy resources while maintaining its commitment to the environment.
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How big is Canada compared to United States? See an in-depth size comparison.

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