Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 1.7 years longer

In United States, the average life expectancy is 80 years (78 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020. In Spain, that number is 82 years (79 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2020.

be 34.3% less likely to be obese

In United States, 36.2% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Spain, that number is 23.8% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 35.8% less money

United States has a GDP per capita of $59,800 as of 2017, while in Spain, the GDP per capita is $38,400 as of 2017.

be 3.9 times more likely to be unemployed

In United States, 4.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2017. In Spain, that number is 17.2% as of 2017.

be 39.7% more likely to live below the poverty line

In United States, 15.1% live below the poverty line as of 2010. In Spain, however, that number is 21.1% as of 2012.

pay a 13.6% higher top tax rate

United States has a top tax rate of 39.6% as of 2016. In Spain, the top tax rate is 45.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 78.9% less likely to die during childbirth

In United States, approximately 19.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Spain, 4.0 women do as of 2017.

be 39.6% 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 Spain, on the other hand, 3.2 children do as of 2020.

have 29.8% fewer children

In United States, there are approximately 12.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2020. In Spain, there are 8.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 16.0% less on education

United States spends 5.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2014. Spain spends 4.2% of total GDP on education as of 2016.

Geography

see 75.1% less coastline

United States has a total of 19,924 km of coastline. In Spain, that number is 4,964 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Internal Revenue Service, Agencia Tributaria, Spain.

Spain: At a glance

Spain is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 498,980 sq km. Spain's powerful world empire of the 16th and 17th centuries ultimately yielded command of the seas to England. Subsequent failure to embrace the mercantile and industrial revolutions caused the country to fall behind Britain, France, and Germany in economic and political power. Spain remained neutral in World War I and II but suffered through a devastating civil war (1936-39). A peaceful transition to democracy following the death of dictator Francisco FRANCO in 1975, and rapid economic modernization (Spain joined the EU in 1986) gave Spain a dynamic and rapidly growing economy and made it a global champion of freedom and human rights. More recently the government has had to focus on measures to reverse a severe economic recession that began in mid-2008. Austerity measures implemented to reduce a large budget deficit and reassure foreign investors have led to one of the highest unemployment rates in Europe.
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How big is Spain compared to United States? See an in-depth size comparison.

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