Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 22.9% less likely to be obese

In United States, 36.2% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Uruguay, that number is 27.9% of people as of 2016.

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live 2.2 years less

In United States, the average life expectancy is 81 years (78 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2022. In Uruguay, that number is 78 years (75 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2022.

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Economy

be 33.1% less likely to live below the poverty line

In United States, 15.1% live below the poverty line as of 2010. In Uruguay, however, that number is 10.1% as of 2023.

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pay a 24.2% lower top tax rate

United States has a top tax rate of 39.6% as of 2016. In Uruguay, the top tax rate is 30.0% as of 2016.

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make 57.6% less money

United States has a GDP per capita of $75,500 as of 2024, while in Uruguay, the GDP per capita is $32,000 as of 2024.

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be 2.0 times more likely to be unemployed

In United States, 4.2% of adults are unemployed as of 2024. In Uruguay, that number is 8.5% as of 2024.

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Life

be 60.7% more likely to die during infancy

In United States, approximately 5.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Uruguay, on the other hand, 8.3 children do as of 2022.

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have 15.8% fewer children

In United States, there are approximately 10.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2025. In Uruguay, there are 9.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2025.

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Expenditures

spend 24.6% less on education

United States spends 6.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Uruguay spends 4.6% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

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spend 51.1% less on healthcare

United States spends 18.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Uruguay, that number is 9.2% of GDP as of 2020.

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Geography

see 96.7% less coastline

United States has a total of 19,924 km of coastline. In Uruguay, that number is 660 km.

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The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Internal Revenue Service, Dirección General Impositiva.

Uruguay: At a glance

Uruguay is a sovereign country in South America, with a total land area of approximately 175,015 sq km. Montevideo, founded by the Spanish in 1726 as a military stronghold, soon took advantage of its natural harbor to become an important commercial center. Claimed by Argentina but annexed by Brazil in 1821, Uruguay declared its independence four years later and secured its freedom in 1828 after a three-year struggle. The administrations of President Jose BATLLE in the early 20th century launched widespread political, social, and economic reforms that established a statist tradition. A violent Marxist urban guerrilla movement named the Tupamaros, launched in the late 1960s, led Uruguay's president to cede control of the government to the military in 1973. By yearend, the rebels had been crushed, but the military continued to expand its hold over the government. Civilian rule was not restored until 1985. In 2004, the left-of-center Frente Amplio Coalition won national elections that effectively ended 170 years of political control previously held by the Colorado and Blanco parties. Uruguay's political and labor conditions are among the freest on the continent.
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