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

Health

live 11.0 years longer

In Benin, the average life expectancy is 61 years (60 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2024. In Tajikistan, that number is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 2.6 times more spent on your healthcare

Benin spends $138 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Tajikistan spends $364 as of 2023.

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have 8.7 times more doctors per person

Benin has 2.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Tajikistan has 18.7 as of 2023.

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have 76.3% more access to essential health services

Benin scores 38 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Tajikistan scores 67 as of 2021.

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be 65.9% less likely to die by suicide

Benin has a suicide rate of 7.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Tajikistan, it is 2.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 88.3% more likely to be obese

In Benin, 12.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Tajikistan, that number is 23.1% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

be 45.3% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Benin, 36.2% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Tajikistan, however, that number is 19.8% as of 2024.

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be 4.4 times more likely to be unemployed

In Benin, 1.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Tajikistan, that number is 6.9% as of 2025.

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Life

be 97.3% 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 Tajikistan, 14.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 48.0% 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 Tajikistan, on the other hand, 23.5 children do as of 2024.

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have 24.2% fewer children

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

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Basic Needs

be 75.4% 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 Tajikistan, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 64.2% more likely to have internet access

In Benin, approximately 34.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Tajikistan, about 55.8% do as of 2024.

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be 28.2% 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 Tajikistan, that number is 89% of people on average (95% in urban areas, and 87% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 68.4% more on education

Benin spends 3.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Tajikistan spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 2.2 times more on healthcare

Benin spends 3.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Tajikistan, that number is 7.4% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 21.2% less likely to be murdered

Benin has a homicide rate of 1.1 per 100,000 people as of 2017. In Tajikistan, that number is 0.9 per 100,000 as of 2020.

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be 44.0% less likely to die in a road accident

In Benin, road accidents kill 24.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Tajikistan, they kill 13.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 3.5 times more home broadband

Benin has 0.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Tajikistan has 1.0 as of 2023.

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use 13.1 times more electricity

Benin uses 115 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Tajikistan uses 1,497 kWh as of 2023.

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live with 71.4 times more strain on fresh water

Benin withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Tajikistan withdraws 70% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 2.1 times more likely to die from air pollution

In Benin, air pollution causes 77.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Tajikistan, it causes 159.0 as of 2019.

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emit 87.8% more CO2

Benin emits 0.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Tajikistan emits 0.9 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2017–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Tajikistan: At a glance

Tajikistan is a sovereign country in Central Asia, with a total land area of approximately 141,510 sq km. The Tajik people came under Russian rule in the 1860s and 1870s, but Russia's hold on Central Asia weakened following the Revolution of 1917. Bands of indigenous guerrillas (called "basmachi") fiercely contested Bolshevik control of the area, which was not fully reestablished until 1925. Tajikistan was first created as an autonomous republic within Uzbekistan in 1924, but the USSR designated Tajikistan a separate republic in 1929 and transferred to it much of present-day Sughd province. Ethnic Uzbeks form a substantial minority in Tajikistan. Tajikistan became independent in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union, and experienced a civil war between regional factions from 1992 to 1997. Tajikistan endured several domestic security incidents during 2010-12, including armed conflict between government forces and local strongmen in the Rasht Valley and between government forces and criminal groups in Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast. The country remains the poorest in the former Soviet sphere. Tajikistan became a member of the World Trade Organization in March 2013. However, its economy continues to face major challenges, including dependence on remittances from Tajikistanis working in Russia, pervasive corruption, and the major role narcotrafficking plays in the country's informal economy.
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How big is Tajikistan compared to Benin? See an in-depth size comparison.

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