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

Health

live 2.6 years longer

In Afghanistan, the average life expectancy is 66 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024. In Senegal, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 43.7% less likely to be obese

In Afghanistan, 20.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Senegal, that number is 11.6% of people as of 2024.

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have 22.0% more access to essential health services

Afghanistan scores 41 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Senegal scores 50 as of 2021.

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see 37.7% less spent on your healthcare

Afghanistan spends $330 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Senegal spends $206 as of 2023.

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have 65.6% fewer doctors per person

Afghanistan has 3.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Senegal has 1.1 as of 2023.

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be 87.8% more likely to die by suicide

Afghanistan has a suicide rate of 3.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Senegal, it is 6.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 79.6% less likely to be unemployed

In Afghanistan, 13.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Senegal, that number is 2.7% as of 2025.

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be 20.4% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Afghanistan, 47.1% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In Senegal, however, that number is 37.5% as of 2021.

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make 4.7 times more money

Afghanistan has a GDP per capita of $417 as of 2024, while in Senegal, the GDP per capita is $1,955 as of 2025.

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Life

be 54.5% 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 Senegal, 237.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 35.1% more likely to be literate

In Afghanistan, the literacy rate is 37.3% as of 2021. In Senegal, it is 50.4% as of 2023.

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be 40.2% less likely to die during infancy

In Afghanistan, approximately 48.3 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Senegal, on the other hand, 28.9 children do as of 2024.

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have 16.7% fewer children

In Afghanistan, there are approximately 35.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Senegal, there are 29.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 3.7 times more likely to have internet access

In Afghanistan, approximately 16.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Senegal, about 60.1% do as of 2024.

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be 13.0% 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 Senegal, that number is 74% of people on average (96% in urban areas, and 56% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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Expenditures

spend 71.2% less on healthcare

Afghanistan spends 15.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Senegal, that number is 4.3% of GDP as of 2023.

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spend 2.1 times more on education

Afghanistan spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Senegal spends 6.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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Safety

be 13.7% less likely to die in a road accident

In Afghanistan, road accidents kill 24.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Senegal, they kill 20.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 50.5 times more home broadband

Afghanistan has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Senegal has 4.0 as of 2024.

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live with 70.3% less strain on fresh water

Afghanistan withdraws 55% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Senegal withdraws 16% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 54.5% less likely to die from air pollution

In Afghanistan, air pollution causes 143.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Senegal, it causes 65.0 as of 2019.

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emit 2.8 times more CO2

Afghanistan emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Senegal emits 0.8 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2020). How we calculate this

Senegal: At a glance

Senegal is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 192,530 sq km. The French colonies of Senegal and the French Sudan were merged in 1959 and granted their independence as the Mali Federation in 1960. The union broke up after only a few months. Senegal joined with The Gambia to form the nominal confederation of Senegambia in 1982. The envisaged integration of the two countries was never carried out, and the union was dissolved in 1989. The Movement of Democratic Forces in the Casamance (MFDC) has led a low-level separatist insurgency in southern Senegal since the 1980s, and several peace deals have failed to resolve the conflict. Nevertheless, Senegal remains one of the most stable democracies in Africa and has a long history of participating in international peacekeeping and regional mediation. Senegal was ruled by a Socialist Party for 40 years until Abdoulaye WADE was elected president in 2000. He was reelected in 2007 and during his two terms amended Senegal's constitution over a dozen times to increase executive power and to weaken the opposition. His decision to run for a third presidential term sparked a large public backlash that led to his defeat in a March 2012 runoff election with Macky SALL.
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