If you lived in Estonia instead of West Virginia, you would:

Health

live 5.1 years longer

In West Virginia, the average life expectancy is 73 years (72 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2020. In Estonia, that number is 78 years (73 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2022.

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Economy

make 10.3% less money

West Virginia has a GDP per capita of $46,834 as of 2024, while in Estonia, the GDP per capita is $42,000 as of 2023.

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be 44.3% more likely to be unemployed

In West Virginia, 4.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Estonia, that number is 6.3% as of 2023.

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be 38.0% more likely to live below the poverty line

In West Virginia, 16.3% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Estonia, however, that number is 22.5% as of 2022.

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Basic Needs

be 13.5% more likely to have internet access

In West Virginia, approximately 84.7% of the population has internet access as of 2023. In Estonia, about 96.1% do as of 2022.

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The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, OECD Regional Demography, Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Estonia: At a glance

Estonia is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 42,388 sq km. After centuries of Danish, Swedish, German, and Russian rule, Estonia attained independence in 1918. Forcibly incorporated into the USSR in 1940 - an action never recognized by the US - it regained its freedom in 1991 with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Since the last Russian troops left in 1994, Estonia has been free to promote economic and political ties with the West. It joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004, formally joined the OECD in late 2010, and adopted the euro as its official currency on 1 January 2011.
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How big is Estonia compared to West Virginia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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