Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Turkmenistan instead of United States, you would:
Health
be 45.8% less likely to be obese
In United States, 41.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, that number is 22.2% of people as of 2024.
be 56.3% less likely to die by suicide
United States has a suicide rate of 15.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Turkmenistan, it is 6.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 8.7 years less
In United States, the average life expectancy is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, that number is 70 years (67 years for men, 73 years for women) as of 2024.
see 90.6% less spent on your healthcare
United States spends $13,473 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Turkmenistan spends $1,264 as of 2023.
have 47.6% fewer doctors per person
United States has 36.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Turkmenistan has 19.3 as of 2023.
have 12.8% less access to essential health services
United States scores 86 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Turkmenistan scores 75 as of 2021.
Economy
be 98.7% less likely to live below the poverty line
In United States, 15.1% live below the poverty line as of 2010. In Turkmenistan, however, that number is 0.2% as of 2012.
make 92.7% less money
United States has a GDP per capita of $90,027 as of 2025, while in Turkmenistan, the GDP per capita is $6,540 as of 2025.
Life
be 70.6% less likely to die during childbirth
In United States, approximately 17.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Turkmenistan, 5.0 women do as of 2023.
have 97.3% more children
In United States, there are approximately 10.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 5.5 times more likely to die during infancy
In United States, approximately 5.5 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, on the other hand, 30.4 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 73.3% less likely to have internet access
In United States, approximately 94.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, about 25.3% do as of 2022.
Expenditures
spend 20.8% less on education
United States spends 5.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Turkmenistan spends 4.3% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 67.0% less on healthcare
United States spends 16.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Turkmenistan, that number is 5.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 43.7% less likely to die in a road accident
In United States, road accidents kill 14.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Turkmenistan, they kill 8.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 86.6% less home broadband
United States has 38.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Turkmenistan has 5.2 as of 2022.
live with 4.8 times more strain on fresh water
United States withdraws 28% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Turkmenistan withdraws 135% as of 2022.
use 78.4% less electricity
United States uses 12,839 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Turkmenistan uses 2,778 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 20.3% less CO2
United States emits 13.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Turkmenistan emits 10.9 tonnes as of 2024.
be 6.2 times more likely to die from air pollution
In United States, air pollution causes 14.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Turkmenistan, it causes 87.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2010–2022), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: United States vs. Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan: At a glance
How big is Turkmenistan compared to United States? See an in-depth size comparison.