Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Somalia instead of Afghanistan, you would:
Health
be 27.5% less likely to be obese
In Afghanistan, 20.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Somalia, that number is 14.9% of people as of 2024.
live 7.3 years less
In Afghanistan, the average life expectancy is 66 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024. In Somalia, that number is 59 years (56 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2024.
see 84.2% less spent on your healthcare
Afghanistan spends $330 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Somalia spends $52 as of 2023.
have 34.1% less access to essential health services
Afghanistan scores 41 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Somalia scores 27 as of 2021.
be 2.2 times more likely to die by suicide
Afghanistan has a suicide rate of 3.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Somalia, it is 8.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 58.6% more money
Afghanistan has a GDP per capita of $417 as of 2024, while in Somalia, the GDP per capita is $661 as of 2025.
be 41.9% more likely to be unemployed
In Afghanistan, 13.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Somalia, that number is 18.9% as of 2025.
be 17.6% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Afghanistan, 47.1% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In Somalia, however, that number is 55.4% as of 2022.
Life
be 45.2% more likely to be literate
In Afghanistan, the literacy rate is 37.3% as of 2021. In Somalia, it is 54.1% as of 2022.
have 21.0% more children
In Afghanistan, there are approximately 35.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Somalia, there are 42.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 35.4% more 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 Somalia, on the other hand, 65.4 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 73.6% more likely to have internet access
In Afghanistan, approximately 16.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Somalia, about 27.9% do as of 2024.
be 41.0% 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 Somalia, that number is 50% of people on average (79% in urban areas, and 24% in rural areas) as of 2023.
Expenditures
spend 75.1% less on healthcare
Afghanistan spends 15.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Somalia, that number is 3.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 16.2% less likely to die in a road accident
In Afghanistan, road accidents kill 24.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Somalia, they kill 20.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 9.0 times more home broadband
Afghanistan has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Somalia has 0.7 as of 2023.
live with 55.2% less strain on fresh water
Afghanistan withdraws 55% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Somalia withdraws 25% as of 2022.
Environment
be 55.2% less likely to die from air pollution
In Afghanistan, air pollution causes 143.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Somalia, it causes 64.0 as of 2019.
emit 82.1% less CO2
Afghanistan emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Somalia emits 0.1 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Afghanistan vs. Somalia
Somalia: At a glance
How big is Somalia compared to Afghanistan? See an in-depth size comparison.