Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 67.5% less likely to be obese

In United States, 41.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Yemen, that number is 13.3% of people as of 2024.

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be 73.1% less likely to die by suicide

United States has a suicide rate of 15.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Yemen, it is 4.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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live 9.5 years less

In United States, the average life expectancy is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024. In Yemen, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 98.7% less spent on your healthcare

United States spends $13,473 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Yemen spends $169 as of 2023.

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have 97.3% fewer doctors per person

United States has 36.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Yemen has 1.0 as of 2023.

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have 51.2% less access to essential health services

United States scores 86 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Yemen scores 42 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 4.1 times more likely to be unemployed

In United States, 4.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Yemen, that number is 17.3% as of 2025.

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Life

have 3.2 times more children

In United States, there are approximately 10.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Yemen, there are 34.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 6.9 times more 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 Yemen, 118.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 6.1 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 Yemen, on the other hand, 33.8 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 16.4% less likely to have access to electricity

In United States, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Yemen, that number is 84% of people on average (96% in urban areas, and 75% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 81.3% less likely to have internet access

In United States, approximately 94.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Yemen, about 17.7% do as of 2022.

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be 24.9% less likely to have access to drinking water

In United States, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Yemen, that number is 75% of people on average (89% in urban areas, and 66% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 41.9% less on healthcare

United States spends 16.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Yemen, that number is 9.7% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 90.4% less coastline

United States has a total of 19,924 km of coastline. In Yemen, that number is 1,906 km.

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Safety

be 2.1 times more likely to die in a road accident

In United States, road accidents kill 14.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Yemen, they kill 29.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 96.7% less home broadband

United States has 38.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Yemen has 1.3 as of 2022.

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live with 6.0 times more strain on fresh water

United States withdraws 28% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Yemen withdraws 170% as of 2022.

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use 99.3% less electricity

United States uses 12,839 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Yemen uses 90 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

emit 98.1% less CO2

United States emits 13.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Yemen emits 0.3 tonnes as of 2024.

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be 7.8 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 Yemen, it causes 109.0 as of 2019.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

Compare further: United States vs. Yemen

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Yemen is 52.7% cheaper than United States overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
United States is about 19 times bigger than Yemen.
→
Moving from United States to Yemen · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
→

Yemen: At a glance

Yemen is a sovereign country in Middle East, with a total land area of approximately 527,968 sq km. North Yemen became independent of the Ottoman Empire in 1918. The British, who had set up a protectorate area around the southern port of Aden in the 19th century, withdrew in 1967 from what became South Yemen. Three years later, the southern government adopted a Marxist orientation. The massive exodus of hundreds of thousands of Yemenis from the south to the north contributed to two decades of hostility between the states. The two countries were formally unified as the Republic of Yemen in 1990. A southern secessionist movement and brief civil war in 1994 was quickly subdued. In 2000, Saudi Arabia and Yemen agreed to a delimitation of their border. Fighting in the northwest between the government and the Huthis, a Zaydi Shia minority, began in 2004 and has since resulted in six rounds of fighting - the last ended in early 2010 with a cease-fire that continues to hold. The southern secessionist movement was revitalized in 2008 when a popular socioeconomic protest movement initiated the prior year took on political goals including secession. Public rallies in Sana'a against then President SALIH - inspired by similar demonstrations in Tunisia and Egypt - slowly built momentum starting in late January 2011 fueled by complaints over high unemployment, poor economic conditions, and corruption. By the following month, some protests had resulted in violence, and the demonstrations had spread to other major cities. By March the opposition had hardened its demands and was unifying behind calls for SALIH's immediate ouster, and prominent military and tribal leaders began defecting from SALIH's camp. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in late April 2011, in an attempt to mediate the crisis in Yemen, proposed an agreement in which the president would step down in exchange for immunity from prosecution. SALIH's refusal to sign an agreement led to heavy street fighting and his injury in an explosion in June 2011. The UN Security Council passed Resolution 2014 in October 2011 calling on both sides to end the violence and complete a power transfer deal. In late November 2011, SALIH signed the GCC-brokered agreement to step down and to transfer some of his powers to Vice President Abd Rabuh Mansur HADI. Following elections in February 2012, won by HADI, SALIH formally transferred his powers. In accordance with the GCC initiative, Yemen launched a National Dialogue in March 2013 to discuss key constitutional, political, and social issues. HADI concluded the National Dialogue in January 2014. Subsequent steps in the transition process include constitutional drafting, a constitutional referendum, and national elections.
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