Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
The United States is 27% bigger than Australia
Australia: 7,741,220 km² (2024) · United States: 9,831,510 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Australia’s coastline is 29% longer than the United States’
Australia: 25,760 km (2026 edition) · United States: 19,924 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
The United States’ highest peak towers 3,962 m above Australia’s
Australia: 2,228 m (2026 edition) · United States: 6,190 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 47% of Australia, versus 46% of the United States
Australia: 47.3% (2024) · United States: 46.1% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
The United States has 12 times as many people as Australia
Australia: 27.6 million (2025) · United States: 342 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
The United States is 10 times as densely populated as Australia
Australia: 4 per km² (2025) · United States: 37 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Australia are 1.8 cm taller than in the United States
Australia: 178.8 cm (2019) · United States: 176.9 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Australia are 1.4 cm taller than in the United States
Australia: 164.7 cm (2019) · United States: 163.3 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in the United States is 0.27 years older than in Australia
Australia: 37.8 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 Australia
Australia: 1.48 children per woman (2024) · United States: 1.63 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
The United States and Australia are practically level
Australia: 18.1% (2025) · United States: 18.4% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
The United States hosts 11% more refugees per resident than Australia
Australia: 1.2 per 1,000 (2025) · United States: 1.3 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
The United States has produced 8.7 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Australia 3.6
Australia: 3.6 (2026) · United States: 8.7 (2026)
How many official languages?
Australia and the United States are practically level
Australia: 1 (2026) · United States: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
The United States’ economy is 17 times the size of Australia’s
Australia: $1.8 trillion (2025) · United States: $30.8 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
The United States produces 25% more per person than Australia
Australia: Int$71,934 (2025) · United States: Int$90,027 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in the United States than in Australia (Gini 8 points higher)
Australia: 33.8 (2020) · United States: 41.8 (2024)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
The United States and Australia are practically level
Australia: 0.9% (2020) · United States: 1.1% (2024)
How many people are looking for work?
The United States and Australia are practically level
Australia: 4.1% (2025) · United States: 4.2% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
The United States spends 3.1% of its GDP on the military, Australia 1.9%
Australia: 1.9% (2025) · United States: 3.1% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Australia’s central government collects 24% of GDP in tax, the United States’ 11%
Australia: 23.6% (2022) · United States: 10.8% (2024)
How expensive is it?
The United States’ price level (US = 100) is 1.1× Australia’s
Australia: 91% (2025) · United States: 100% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
The United States spends 93% more on health per person than Australia
Australia: $6,980 (2023) · United States: $13,473 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Australia live 4.2 years longer than in the United States
Australia: 83.1 years (2024) · United States: 78.9 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in the United States is 77% more likely to die before turning one than in Australia
Australia: 3.1 per 1,000 (2024) · United States: 5.5 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Australia has 11% more doctors per person than the United States
Australia: 4.1 per 1,000 (2022) · United States: 3.7 per 1,000 (2022)
How many hospital beds are there?
Australia has 43% more hospital beds per person than the United States
Australia: 3.8 per 1,000 (2016) · United States: 2.7 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in the United States is 6% higher than in Australia
Australia: 12.6 per 100k (2023) · United States: 13.3 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
42% of adults in the United States are obese, versus 32% in Australia
Australia: 32.4% (2024) · United States: 41.8% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
16% of adults in the United States smoke, versus 12% in Australia
Australia: 11.6% (2024) · United States: 15.8% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Australia rate their lives 0.10 points higher than in the United States
Australia: 6.92 (2025) · United States: 6.82 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Australia drink 10% more alcohol than in the United States
Australia: 10.5 litres (2023) · United States: 9.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
The United States has 5% more meat per person than Australia
Australia: 116.8 kg (2023) · United States: 122.1 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
The United States has 385 kcal more food per person per day than Australia
Australia: 3,562 kcal (2023) · United States: 3,947 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in the United States put in 178 more hours a year than in Australia
Australia: 1,611 hours (2023) · United States: 1,789 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in the United States went to school 1 year longer than in Australia
Australia: 12.9 years (2023) · United States: 13.9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Australia: no data · United States: 0.21 (2024)
How many World Heritage sites?
The United States has 6 more World Heritage sites than Australia (27 against 21)
Australia: 21 (2026) · United States: 27 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
The United States has won 3,137 Olympic medals, Australia 619
Australia: 619 (2026 edition) · United States: 3,137 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
96% of people in Australia are online, versus 95% in the United States
Australia: 96% (2024) · United States: 95% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in the United States is 54% faster than in Australia
Australia: 261 Mbps (2026) · United States: 401 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
Australia and the United States are practically level
Australia: 100% (2024) · United States: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
88% of people in Australia live in cities, versus 80% in the United States
Australia: 88% (2025) · United States: 80% (2025)
How many phones per person?
The United States has 113 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Australia 113
Australia: 113 (2024) · United States: 113 (2024)
How much railway is there?
The United States’ railway network is 4.6 times as long as Australia’s
Australia: 32,606 km (2022) · United States: 148,553 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from the United States fly 10% more passengers per resident than those from Australia
Australia: 2.5 (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 17% of Australia
Australia: 17.4% (2024) · United States: 33.8% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Australia emits 2% more CO₂ than someone in the United States
Australia: 14.5 t (2024) · United States: 14.2 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
39% of Australia’s electricity is renewable, versus 26% in the United States
Australia: 38.6% (2025) · United States: 25.6% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in the United States carries 39% more fine dust than in Australia
Australia: 5.4 µg/m³ (2024) · United States: 7.5 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 6.7 times as likely to be murdered in the United States as in Australia
Australia: 0.9 per 100k (2023) · United States: 5.8 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in the United States are 3.5 times as deadly as in Australia
Australia: 7.5 per 100k (2023) · United States: 26.3 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Australia is on average 12.2 °C warmer than the United States
Australia: 22.5°C (2016–2025 avg) · United States: 10.3°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
The United States gets 90% more rain than Australia
Australia: 447 mm (2016–2025 avg) · United States: 849 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Australia bigger than the United States?
The United States is larger. The United States is 27% bigger than Australia.
Which has more people, Australia or the United States?
The United States has 12 times as many people as Australia (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Australia or the United States?
People in Australia live 4.2 years longer than in the United States. Life expectancy at birth is 83.1 years in Australia and 78.9 in the United States.
Are people taller in Australia or the United States?
Men in Australia are 1.8 cm taller than in the United States (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
