Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Samoa instead of Afghanistan, you would:

Health

live 21.5 years longer

In Afghanistan, the average life expectancy is 54 years (52 years for men, 55 years for women) as of 2022. In Samoa, that number is 75 years (72 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2022.

be 8.6 times more likely to be obese

In Afghanistan, 5.5% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Samoa, that number is 47.3% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 3.1 times more money

Afghanistan has a GDP per capita of $2,000 as of 2020, while in Samoa, the GDP per capita is $6,300 as of 2020.

be 78.2% less likely to be unemployed

In Afghanistan, 23.9% of adults are unemployed as of 2017. In Samoa, that number is 5.2% as of 2017.

be 62.8% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Afghanistan, 54.5% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Samoa, however, that number is 20.3% as of 2013.

pay a 35.0% higher top tax rate

Afghanistan has a top tax rate of 20.0% as of 2016. In Samoa, the top tax rate is 27.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 93.3% less likely to die during childbirth

In Afghanistan, approximately 638.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Samoa, 43.0 women do as of 2017.

be 2.7 times more likely to be literate

In Afghanistan, the literacy rate is 37.3% as of 2021. In Samoa, it is 99.1% as of 2018.

be 83.8% less likely to die during infancy

In Afghanistan, approximately 104.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Samoa, on the other hand, 17.0 children do as of 2020.

have 45.8% fewer children

In Afghanistan, there are approximately 35.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Samoa, there are 19.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 88.9% more likely to have internet access

In Afghanistan, approximately 18.0% of the population has internet access as of 2020. In Samoa, about 34.0% do as of 2019.

be 28.6% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Afghanistan, approximately 76% of people have improved drinking water access (100% in urban areas, and 68% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Samoa, that number is 98% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 98% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 51.5% less on healthcare

Afghanistan spends 13.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In Samoa, that number is 6.4% of GDP as of 2019.

spend 50.0% more on education

Afghanistan spends 3.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. Samoa spends 4.8% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Afghanistan Revenue Department, Ministry of Revenue, Samoa.

Samoa: At a glance

Samoa is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 2,821 sq km. New Zealand occupied the German protectorate of Western Samoa at the outbreak of World War I in 1914. It continued to administer the islands as a mandate and then as a trust territory until 1962, when the islands became the first Polynesian nation to reestablish independence in the 20th century. The country dropped the "Western" from its name in 1997.
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How big is Samoa compared to Afghanistan? See an in-depth size comparison.

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