Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 3.2 years longer

In Benin, the average life expectancy is 62 years (60 years for men, 64 years for women) as of 2022. In Liberia, that number is 65 years (63 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2022.

be 22.2% more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Benin, 0.9% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Liberia, that number is 1.1% of people as of 2020.

Economy

make 57.6% less money

Benin has a GDP per capita of $3,300 as of 2020, while in Liberia, the GDP per capita is $1,400 as of 2020.

be 2.8 times more likely to be unemployed

In Benin, 1.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2014. In Liberia, that number is 2.8% as of 2014.

be 32.2% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Benin, 38.5% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In Liberia, however, that number is 50.9% as of 2016.

Life

be 13.9% more likely to be literate

In Benin, the literacy rate is 42.4% as of 2018. In Liberia, it is 48.3% as of 2017.

be 20.1% less likely to die during infancy

In Benin, approximately 55.8 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Liberia, on the other hand, 44.6 children do as of 2022.

be 66.5% more likely to die during childbirth

In Benin, approximately 397.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Liberia, 661.0 women do as of 2017.

have 11.0% fewer children

In Benin, there are approximately 41.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Liberia, there are 36.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 12.4% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Benin, approximately 75% of people have improved drinking water access (79% in urban areas, and 71% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Liberia, that number is 84% of people on average (96% in urban areas, and 71% in rural areas) as of 2020.

be 63.6% less likely to have access to electricity

In Benin, approximately 33% of people have electricity access (58% in urban areas, and 9% in rural areas) as of 2019. In Liberia, that number is 12% of people on average (18% in urban areas, and 6% in rural areas) as of 2019.

Expenditures

spend 23.3% less on education

Benin spends 3.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. Liberia spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 3.5 times more on healthcare

Benin spends 2.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In Liberia, that number is 8.5% of GDP as of 2019.

Geography

see 4.8 times more coastline

Benin has a total of 121 km of coastline. In Liberia, that number is 579 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Liberia: At a glance

Liberia is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 96,320 sq km. Settlement of freed slaves from the US in what is today Liberia began in 1822; by 1847, the Americo-Liberians were able to establish a republic. William TUBMAN, president from 1944-71, did much to promote foreign investment and to bridge the economic, social, and political gaps between the descendants of the original settlers and the inhabitants of the interior. In 1980, a military coup led by Samuel DOE ushered in a decade of authoritarian rule. In December 1989, Charles TAYLOR launched a rebellion against DOE's regime that led to a prolonged civil war in which DOE was killed. A period of relative peace in 1997 allowed for elections that brought TAYLOR to power, but major fighting resumed in 2000. An August 2003 peace agreement ended the war and prompted the resignation of former president Charles TAYLOR, who faces war crimes charges in The Hague related to his involvement in Sierra Leone's civil war. After two years of rule by a transitional government, democratic elections in late 2005 brought President Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF to power. She subsequently won reelection in 2011 in a second round vote that was boycotted by the opposition and remains challenged to build Liberia's economy and reconcile a nation still recovering from 14 years of fighting. The United Nations Security Council in September 2012 passed Resolution 2066 which calls for a reduction of UN troops in Liberia by half by 2015, bringing the troop total down to fewer than 4000, and challenging Liberia's security sector to fill the gaps.
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