Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Sao Tome and Principe instead of Bolivia, you would:
Health
live 1.2 years longer
In Bolivia, the average life expectancy is 69 years (66 years for men, 71 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 39.7% less likely to be obese
In Bolivia, 29.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 17.9% of people as of 2024.
be 79.5% less likely to die by suicide
Bolivia has a suicide rate of 4.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Sao Tome and Principe, it is 0.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
see 53.0% less spent on your healthcare
Bolivia spends $756 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Sao Tome and Principe spends $355 as of 2023.
have 63.9% fewer doctors per person
Bolivia has 12.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Sao Tome and Principe has 4.6 as of 2022.
Economy
be 3.1 times more likely to be unemployed
In Bolivia, 3.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 9.1% as of 2025.
make 20.7% less money
Bolivia has a GDP per capita of $5,148 as of 2025, while in Sao Tome and Principe, the GDP per capita is $4,084 as of 2025.
Life
be 48.6% less likely to die during childbirth
In Bolivia, approximately 146.0 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.
be 35.2% less likely to die during infancy
In Bolivia, approximately 14.2 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 33.6% more children
In Bolivia, there are approximately 21.0 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.
Basic Needs
be 18.5% less likely to have access to electricity
In Bolivia, 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 25.8% less likely to have internet access
In Bolivia, approximately 79.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, about 59.1% do as of 2024.
be 16.5% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Bolivia, approximately 93% of people have access to drinking water (99% in urban areas, and 79% 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 33.3% less on education
Bolivia spends 7.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Sao Tome and Principe spends 5.0% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 16.6% less on healthcare
Bolivia spends 6.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 5.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 33.5% less likely to die in a road accident
In Bolivia, road accidents kill 17.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Sao Tome and Principe, they kill 11.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 75.2% less home broadband
Bolivia has 12.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Sao Tome and Principe has 3.0 as of 2024.
live with 9.4 times more strain on fresh water
Bolivia withdraws 0% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Sao Tome and Principe withdraws 2% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 72.5% less CO2
Bolivia emits 2.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Sao Tome and Principe emits 0.6 tonnes as of 2024.
be 57.4% more likely to die from air pollution
In Bolivia, air pollution causes 54.0 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), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Bolivia vs. Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: At a glance
How big is Sao Tome and Principe compared to Bolivia? See an in-depth size comparison.