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Iceland vs United States: Compare Statistics

Side-by-side comparison of 108 key metrics across economy, population, geography, and more — latest data through 2026.

Iceland
isl
Leads on 52 of 108 metrics
United States
usa
Leads on 45 of 108 metrics

Summary

Comparing Iceland and United States: United States leads on Irrigated Land (234,782) against Iceland (0.50); Iceland leads on Major Urban Areas Population (216,000 people) against United States (18.94 people); Iceland leads on Refined Petroleum Products Imports (20,220) against United States (2.17). Across 108 compared metrics, Iceland wins on 52 and United States wins on 45.

  • Communications: 6 metrics compared
  • Economy: 44 metrics compared
  • Environment: 6 metrics compared
  • Geography: 6 metrics compared
  • Government: 4 metrics compared
  • Health: 10 metrics compared
  • Military and Security: 1 metric compared
  • People and Society: 27 metrics compared
  • Transportation: 4 metrics compared

Communications

6 metrics
Metric🇮🇸 Iceland🇺🇸 United StatesShare
Internet Usage Rate by Country (% of Population)99.83 %★93.14 %
Internet Userspercent of population: 100% (2023 est.)percent of population: 93% (2023 est.)
Press Freedom Index Score81.36 points★65.49 points
Radios260,000★575
Televisions98,000★219
Waterwaysnone41,009

Economy

44 metrics
Metric🇮🇸 Iceland🇺🇸 United StatesShare
Agriculture Value Added as a Share of GDP by Country1.21B $350.60B $★
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by Country in Current US Dollars39.63B $32.95T $★
Central Bank Discount Rate (%)5.4 %★0.5 %
Coal Revenue00.2★
Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate (%)7.26 %★4.1 %
Current Health Expenditure (% of GDP)8.5 % of GDP16.9 % of GDP★
Ease of Doing Business Index7992★
Electricity Consumption17.68★3.9
Electricity Exports09.7★
Electricity from Fossil Fuels470★
Electricity from Hydroelectric Plants71★7
Electricity from Nuclear Fuels09★
Electricity from Other Renewables25★14
Electricity Imports072.72★
Electricity Installed Capacity2.77★1.09
Electricity Production18.17★4.1
Gini Index Coefficient26.641.8★
Gross Fixed Investment14.5★12.9
Gross National Saving25.8★18.9
Industrial Production Growth Rate (%)-2.3 %3.25 %★
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)5.9 %2.9 %★
Military Expenditures (% of GDP)0.3 % of GDP3.42 % of GDP★
Natural Gas Consumption0767.6★
Natural Gas Exports089.7★
Natural Gas Imports086.15★
Natural Gas Production0772.8★
Natural Gas Proved Reserves00
Oil Consumption17,430★19.15
Oil Exports1,209★1.92
Oil Imports15,530★10.27
Oil Production09.69★
Oil Proved Reserves020.68★
Population Below Poverty Line8.8 people★15.1 people
Public Debt80.7★114.8
Real GDP Growth Rate (USD)0.5 USD2.8 USD★
Refined Petroleum Products Consumption20,850★19.96
Refined Petroleum Products Exports2,530★5.22
Refined Petroleum Products Imports20,220★2.18
Refined Petroleum Products Production020.3★
Remittances0.7★0
Revenue from Forest Resources00.04★
Share of population in poverty ($3 a day)0.08★1
Taxes and Other Revenues23.3★10.6
Unemployment Rate3.2 %★4.2 %

Environment

6 metrics
Metric🇮🇸 Iceland🇺🇸 United StatesShare
Annual CO₂ Emissions Growth (abs)294,776-14.29M★
Carbon Dioxide Emissions3.1★4.8
Continental Shelfedge of continental margin or 200 nm;not specified;
Population DistributionIceland is almost entirely urban, with half of the population located in and around the capital of Reykjavik; smaller clusters are primarily found along the coast in the north and westlarge urban clusters are spread throughout the eastern half of the US (particularly the Great Lakes area, northeast, east, and southeast) and the western-tier states; mountainous areas such as the Rocky Mountains and Appalachians, deserts in the southwest
Total Renewable Groundwater Resources by Country24 Cubic meters per year1,383 Cubic meters per year★
Total Renewable Water Resources170★3.07

Geography

6 metrics
Metric🇮🇸 Iceland🇺🇸 United StatesShare
Percentage of land area by degree of urbanization0.16 %2.11 %★
Above-Ground Biomass in Forest (tonnes/ha)23.6694.67★
Agricultural land18,720 sq. km4.17M sq. km★
Coastline Length (km)4,970 km19,924 km★
Dam capacity per capita5,604.12 cubic meters per inhabitant★2,113 cubic meters per inhabitant
Irrigated Land0.5234,782★

Government

4 metrics
Metric🇮🇸 Iceland🇺🇸 United StatesShare
Rule of Law Index by Country96.93 %★88.3 %
Administrative Divisions64★50
Independence14★
Suffrage Participation Rate1818

Health

10 metrics
Metric🇮🇸 Iceland🇺🇸 United StatesShare
Diabetes Deaths Per 100,000 (Age-Std)7.94★26.21
Diabetes Prevalence (% of Population)6.913.7★
Health Expenditure (% of GDP)8.6 % of GDP16.6 % of GDP★
HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate0.1 %NA
Hospital Bed Density2.8 people/sq km★2.7 people/sq km
Maternal Mortality Ratio (%)3 %★17 %
Mean Age at First Birth28.7★27.5
Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate (%)21.9 %★36.2 %
People Living With HIV/AIDSnote: estimate does not include childrenNA
Underweight Children Under 5NA0.4

Military and Security

1 metric
Metric🇮🇸 Iceland🇺🇸 United StatesShare
Total Armed Forces Personnel (PPP)01.40M★

People and Society

27 metrics
Metric🇮🇸 Iceland🇺🇸 United StatesShare
Currently married (Percent)47.72 %51.38 %★
Human Capital Index0.74★0.72
Life expectancy at birth84.66 years★83.22 years
Median age of population36.28 years38.79 years★
Population Change3,714.6 persons2.26M persons★
Population density4.05 per sq. km★38.15 per sq. km
Total population403,136.5 persons349.13M persons★
Academic Freedom Index0.76★0.4
Average Female Breast Size by Country: Worldwide Data & RankingsCC
Birth Rate (%)12.47 %★10.75 %
Contraceptive Prevalence RateNA73.9 %
Death Rate (%)6.62 %★8.76 %
Education Expenditure (% of GDP)7.3 % of GDP★5.4 % of GDP
Female population of reproductive age96,725.95 persons78.56M persons★
Labor Force Participation Rate248,400★174.17
Learning-adjusted years of school10.48 years11.07 years★
Length of paid parental leave for mother288 days★183.4 days
Major Urban Areas Population216,000 people★18.94 people
Mean Male Height (cm)180.49★177.13
Percentage of population by degree of urbanization76.4 %★74.52 %
Physician Density4.37 people/sq km★3.68 people/sq km
Population Growth Rate0.82 %★0.45 %
Population living in slums0 %0.05 %★
Total deaths2,727.1 persons★2.87M persons
Total fertility rate1.38 per woman1.61 per woman★
Total net-migration2,246.8 persons1.49M persons★
Under-five mortality rate0.48 per live births★5.52 per live births

Transportation

4 metrics
Metric🇮🇸 Iceland🇺🇸 United StatesShare
Air Travel Trips Per Capita (PPP)14.35★2.06
Airports8216,116★
Civil Air Travel208,252★
Heliports18,130★

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