Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Faroe Islands instead of United States, you would:

Health

live 4.2 years longer

In United States, the average life expectancy is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024. In Faroe Islands, that number is 83 years (81 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024.

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Economy

make 17.6% less money

United States has a GDP per capita of $90,027 as of 2025, while in Faroe Islands, the GDP per capita is $74,175 as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 40.2% more on education

United States spends 5.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Faroe Islands spends 7.6% of total GDP on education as of 2019.

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Geography

see 94.4% less coastline

United States has a total of 19,924 km of coastline. In Faroe Islands, that number is 1,117 km.

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Infrastructure

find 11.0% less home broadband

United States has 38.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Faroe Islands has 34.6 as of 2022.

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Environment

emit 99.7% less CO2

United States emits 13.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Faroe Islands emits 0.0 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), The World Factbook (2019). How we calculate this

Compare further: United States vs. Faroe Islands

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Faroe Islands is 4.5% cheaper than United States overall
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Size Comparison · See true size
United States is about 7,059 times bigger than Faroe Islands.
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Moving from United States to Faroe Islands · UN DESA 2020
45 people born in United States live in Faroe Islands.
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Faroe Islands: At a glance

Faroe Islands is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 1,393 sq km. The population of the Faroe Islands is largely descended from Viking settlers who arrived in the 9th century. The islands have been connected politically to Denmark since the 14th century. A high degree of self-government was granted the Faroese in 1948, who have autonomy over most internal affairs while Denmark is responsible for justice, defense, and foreign affairs. The Faroe Islands are not part of the European Union.
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How big is Faroe Islands compared to United States? See an in-depth size comparison.

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