The duel
Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Argentina fits inside the United States 3.5 times.
Argentina: 2,780,400 km² (2023) · United States: 9,831,510 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
The United States’ coastline is 4 times as long as Argentina’s.
Argentina: 4,989 km (2026 edition) · United States: 19,924 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Argentina’s highest peak towers 772 m above the United States’.
Argentina: 6,962 m (2026 edition) · United States: 6,190 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
The United States has 7.5 times as many people as Argentina.
Argentina: 45.9 million (2025) · United States: 342 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
The United States is 2.2 times as densely populated as Argentina.
Argentina: 17 per km² (2025) · United States: 37 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in the United States are 2.2 cm taller than in Argentina.
Argentina: 174.8 cm (2019) · United States: 176.9 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in the United States are 2.1 cm taller than in Argentina.
Argentina: 161.2 cm (2019) · United States: 163.3 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in the United States is 5.9 years older than in Argentina.
Argentina: 32.1 years (2023) · United States: 38 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in the United States have 0.1 more children on average than in Argentina.
Argentina: 1.5 children per woman (2024) · United States: 1.63 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
18% of people in the United States are 65 or older, versus 13% in Argentina.
Argentina: 12.6% (2025) · United States: 18.4% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
The United States has produced 8.7 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Argentina 0.9.
Argentina: 0.9 (2025) · United States: 8.7 (2025)
How many official languages?
Argentina has 2 official languages, the United States 1.
Argentina: 2 (2026) · United States: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
The United States’ economy is 45 times the size of Argentina’s.
Argentina: $683 billion (2025) · United States: $30.8 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
The United States produces 2.8 times as much per person as Argentina.
Argentina: Int$32,587 (2025) · United States: Int$90,027 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Argentina than in the United States (Gini 0.6 points higher).
Argentina: 42.4 (2024) · United States: 41.8 (2024)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 7.1% in Argentina, versus 4.2% in the United States.
Argentina: 7.1% (2025) · United States: 4.2% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
The United States spends 3.4% of its GDP on the military, Argentina 0.6%.
Argentina: 0.6% (2024) · United States: 3.4% (2024)
How expensive is it?
The United States’ price level (US = 100) is 2.2× Argentina’s.
Argentina: 46% (2025) · United States: 100% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
The United States spends 9.2 times as much on health per person as Argentina.
Argentina: $1,457 (2023) · United States: $13,473 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in the United States live 1.3 years longer than in Argentina.
Argentina: 77.5 years (2024) · United States: 78.9 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Argentina is 45% more likely to die before turning one than in the United States.
Argentina: 8 per 1,000 (2024) · United States: 5.5 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Argentina has 39% more doctors per person than the United States.
Argentina: 5.1 per 1,000 (2023) · United States: 3.7 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
42% of adults in the United States are obese, versus 38% in Argentina.
Argentina: 38.1% (2024) · United States: 41.8% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
24% of adults in Argentina smoke, versus 16% in the United States.
Argentina: 23.5% (2024) · United States: 15.8% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in the United States rate their lives 0.39 points higher than in Argentina.
Argentina: 6.43 (2025) · United States: 6.82 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in the United States drink 35% more alcohol than in Argentina.
Argentina: 7.1 litres (2023) · United States: 9.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
The United States has 6% more meat per person than Argentina.
Argentina: 115 kg (2023) · United States: 122.1 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
The United States has 587 kcal more food per person per day than Argentina.
Argentina: 3,360 kcal (2023) · United States: 3,947 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in the United States put in 177 more hours a year than in Argentina.
Argentina: 1,612 hours (2023) · United States: 1,789 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in the United States went to school 2.7 years longer than in Argentina.
Argentina: 11.2 years (2023) · United States: 13.9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
The United States welcomed 47% more tourists per resident than Argentina (2019).
Argentina: 0.14 (2024) · United States: 0.21 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
95% of people in the United States are online, versus 90% in Argentina.
Argentina: 90% (2024) · United States: 95% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in the United States have electricity, versus 98% in Argentina.
Argentina: 98.4% (2024) · United States: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
92% of people in Argentina live in cities, versus 80% in the United States.
Argentina: 92% (2025) · United States: 80% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Argentina has 140 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, the United States 113.
Argentina: 140 (2024) · United States: 113 (2024)
How much railway is there?
The United States’ railway network is 8.3 times as long as Argentina’s.
Argentina: 17,866 km (2019) · United States: 148,553 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from the United States fly 6 times as many passengers per resident as those from Argentina.
Argentina: 0.46 (2023) · United States: 2.75 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 34% of the United States, but only 10% of Argentina.
Argentina: 10.3% (2023) · United States: 33.9% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in the United States emits 3.8 times as much CO₂ as someone in Argentina.
Argentina: 3.7 t (2024) · United States: 14.2 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
35% of Argentina’s electricity is renewable, versus 26% in the United States.
Argentina: 34.6% (2025) · United States: 25.6% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Argentina carries 93% more fine dust than in the United States.
Argentina: 14.5 µg/m³ (2024) · United States: 7.5 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 28% more likely to be murdered in the United States than in Argentina.
Argentina: 4.5 per 100k (2023) · United States: 5.8 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in the United States are 61% deadlier than in Argentina.
Argentina: 8.8 per 100k (2021) · United States: 14.2 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Argentina is on average 4.8 °C warmer than the United States.
Argentina: 15.1°C (2016–2025 avg) · United States: 10.3°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
The United States gets 27% more rain than Argentina.
Argentina: 670 mm (2016–2025 avg) · United States: 849 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Argentina bigger than the United States?
The United States is larger. Argentina fits inside the United States 3.5 times.
Which has more people, Argentina or the United States?
The United States has 7.5 times as many people as Argentina (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Argentina or the United States?
People in the United States live 1.3 years longer than in Argentina. Life expectancy at birth is 77.5 years in Argentina and 78.9 in the United States.
Are people taller in Argentina or the United States?
Men in the United States are 2.2 cm taller than in Argentina (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
