If you lived in Equatorial Guinea instead of Afghanistan, you would:

Health

see 84.7% more spent on your healthcare

Afghanistan spends $330 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Equatorial Guinea spends $609 as of 2023.

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have 12.2% more access to essential health services

Afghanistan scores 41 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Equatorial Guinea scores 46 as of 2021.

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live 2.4 years less

In Afghanistan, the average life expectancy is 66 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024. In Equatorial Guinea, that number is 64 years (62 years for men, 66 years for women) as of 2024.

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have 51.7% fewer doctors per person

Afghanistan has 3.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Equatorial Guinea has 1.5 as of 2022.

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be 95.3% more likely to die by suicide

Afghanistan has a suicide rate of 3.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Equatorial Guinea, it is 7.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 37.5% less likely to be unemployed

In Afghanistan, 13.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Equatorial Guinea, that number is 8.3% as of 2025.

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make 15.9 times more money

Afghanistan has a GDP per capita of $417 as of 2024, while in Equatorial Guinea, the GDP per capita is $6,615 as of 2025.

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Life

be 66.6% less likely to die during childbirth

In Afghanistan, approximately 521.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Equatorial Guinea, 174.0 women do as of 2023.

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have 14.3% fewer children

In Afghanistan, there are approximately 35.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Equatorial Guinea, there are 30.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 3.9 times more likely to have internet access

In Afghanistan, approximately 16.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Equatorial Guinea, about 63.3% do as of 2024.

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be 21.6% less likely to have access to electricity

In Afghanistan, approximately 85% of people have electricity access (96% in urban areas, and 81% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Equatorial Guinea, that number is 67% of people on average (89% in urban areas, and 2% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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Expenditures

spend 76.7% less on healthcare

Afghanistan spends 15.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Equatorial Guinea, that number is 3.5% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 51.5% less likely to die in a road accident

In Afghanistan, road accidents kill 24.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Equatorial Guinea, they kill 11.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 25.0% more home broadband

Afghanistan has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Equatorial Guinea has 0.1 as of 2022.

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live with 99.7% less strain on fresh water

Afghanistan withdraws 55% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Equatorial Guinea withdraws 0% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 58.7% less likely to die from air pollution

In Afghanistan, air pollution causes 143.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Equatorial Guinea, it causes 59.0 as of 2019.

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emit 9.1 times more CO2

Afghanistan emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Equatorial Guinea emits 2.5 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021). How we calculate this

Equatorial Guinea: At a glance

Equatorial Guinea is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 28,051 sq km. Equatorial Guinea gained independence in 1968 after 190 years of Spanish rule. This tiny country, composed of a mainland portion plus five inhabited islands, is one of the smallest on the African continent. President Teodoro Obiang NGUEMA MBASOGO has ruled the country since 1979 when he seized power in a coup. Although nominally a constitutional democracy since 1991, the 1996, 2002, and 2009 presidential elections - as well as the 1999, 2004, 2008, and 2013 legislative elections - were widely seen as flawed. The president exerts almost total control over the political system and has discouraged political opposition. Equatorial Guinea has experienced rapid economic growth due to the discovery of large offshore oil reserves, and in the last decade has become Sub-Saharan Africa's third largest oil exporter. Despite the country's economic windfall from oil production, resulting in a massive increase in government revenue in recent years, improvements in the population's living standards have been slow to develop.
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