If you lived in Kiribati instead of Benin, you would:

Health

live 5.6 years longer

In Benin, the average life expectancy is 61 years (60 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2024. In Kiribati, that number is 67 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 2.9 times more spent on your healthcare

Benin spends $138 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Kiribati spends $401 as of 2023.

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have 26.3% more access to essential health services

Benin scores 38 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Kiribati scores 48 as of 2021.

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be 3.7 times more likely to be obese

In Benin, 12.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Kiribati, that number is 45.6% of people as of 2024.

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be 2.5 times more likely to die by suicide

Benin has a suicide rate of 7.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Kiribati, it is 17.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 84.8% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Benin, 36.2% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Kiribati, however, that number is 5.5% as of 2023.

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make 54.3% more money

Benin has a GDP per capita of $1,658 as of 2025, while in Kiribati, the GDP per capita is $2,559 as of 2025.

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Life

be 84.6% less likely to die during childbirth

In Benin, approximately 518.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Kiribati, 80.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 91.9% more likely to be literate

In Benin, the literacy rate is 51.4% as of 2022. In Kiribati, it is 98.6% as of 2020.

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be 14.2% less likely to die during infancy

In Benin, approximately 45.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Kiribati, on the other hand, 38.8 children do as of 2024.

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have 24.3% fewer children

In Benin, there are approximately 33.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Kiribati, there are 25.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 68.2% more likely to have access to electricity

In Benin, approximately 57% of people have electricity access (70% in urban areas, and 44% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Kiribati, that number is 96% of people on average (89% in urban areas, and 94% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 2.6 times more likely to have internet access

In Benin, approximately 34.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Kiribati, about 89.4% do as of 2024.

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be 13.6% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Benin, approximately 70% of people have access to drinking water (76% in urban areas, and 63% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Kiribati, that number is 79% of people on average (90% in urban areas, and 64% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 5.1 times more on education

Benin spends 3.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Kiribati spends 16.4% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 3.3 times more on healthcare

Benin spends 3.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Kiribati, that number is 10.9% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 9.4 times more coastline

Benin has a total of 121 km of coastline. In Kiribati, that number is 1,143 km.

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Safety

be 75.0% less likely to die in a road accident

In Benin, road accidents kill 24.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Kiribati, they kill 6.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 89.3% less home broadband

Benin has 0.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Kiribati has 0.0 as of 2024.

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Environment

be 36.4% less likely to die from air pollution

In Benin, air pollution causes 77.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Kiribati, it causes 49.0 as of 2019.

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emit 20.4% more CO2

Benin emits 0.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Kiribati emits 0.6 tonnes as of 2024.

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

Kiribati: At a glance

Kiribati is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 811 sq km. The Gilbert Islands became a British protectorate in 1892 and a colony in 1915; they were captured by the Japanese in the Pacific War in 1941. The islands of Makin and Tarawa were the sites of major US amphibious victories over entrenched Japanese garrisons in 1943. The Gilbert Islands were granted self-rule by the UK in 1971 and complete independence in 1979 under the new name of Kiribati. The US relinquished all claims to the sparsely inhabited Phoenix and Line Island groups in a 1979 treaty of friendship with Kiribati.
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How big is Kiribati compared to Benin? See an in-depth size comparison.

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