Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Sao Tome and Principe instead of Bhutan, you would:
Health
be 82.4% less likely to die by suicide
Bhutan has a suicide rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Sao Tome and Principe, it is 0.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 3.4 years less
In Bhutan, the average life expectancy is 73 years (72 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 70 years (66 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.
be 37.1% more likely to be obese
In Bhutan, 13.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 17.9% of people as of 2024.
see 47.5% less spent on your healthcare
Bhutan spends $677 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Sao Tome and Principe spends $355 as of 2023.
have 16.1% fewer doctors per person
Bhutan has 5.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Sao Tome and Principe has 4.6 as of 2022.
Economy
be 2.8 times more likely to be unemployed
In Bhutan, 3.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 9.1% as of 2025.
Life
be 46.0% more likely to be literate
In Bhutan, the literacy rate is 64.9% as of 2022. In Sao Tome and Principe, it is 94.8% as of 2021.
be 32.8% less likely to die during infancy
In Bhutan, approximately 13.7 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, on the other hand, 9.2 children do as of 2024.
have 2.2 times more children
In Bhutan, there are approximately 12.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, there are 28.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 59.6% more likely to die during childbirth
In Bhutan, approximately 47.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Sao Tome and Principe, 75.0 women do as of 2023.
Basic Needs
be 18.7% less likely to have access to electricity
In Bhutan, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 81% of people on average (82% in urban areas, and 70% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 35.2% less likely to have internet access
In Bhutan, approximately 91.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, about 59.1% do as of 2024.
be 21.7% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Bhutan, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water (100% in urban areas, and 99% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 78% of people on average (79% in urban areas, and 73% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 14.0% less on education
Bhutan spends 5.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Sao Tome and Principe spends 5.0% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 30.5% more on healthcare
Bhutan spends 4.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 5.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Infrastructure
live with 33.3% more strain on fresh water
Bhutan withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Sao Tome and Principe withdraws 2% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 68.7% less CO2
Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Sao Tome and Principe emits 0.6 tonnes as of 2024.
be 49.1% more likely to die from air pollution
In Bhutan, air pollution causes 57.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Sao Tome and Principe, it causes 85.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Bhutan vs. Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: At a glance
How big is Sao Tome and Principe compared to Bhutan? See an in-depth size comparison.