If you lived in Samoa instead of Burundi, you would:

Health

live 8.0 years longer

In Burundi, the average life expectancy is 64 years (62 years for men, 66 years for women) as of 2024. In Samoa, that number is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 4.7 times more spent on your healthcare

Burundi spends $100 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Samoa spends $475 as of 2023.

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have 7.2 times more doctors per person

Burundi has 0.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Samoa has 5.6 as of 2021.

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have 34.1% more access to essential health services

Burundi scores 41 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Samoa scores 55 as of 2021.

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be 12.4 times more likely to be obese

In Burundi, 5.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Samoa, that number is 64.3% of people as of 2024.

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be 56.9% more likely to die by suicide

Burundi has a suicide rate of 7.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Samoa, it is 12.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 57.1% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Burundi, 51.0% live below the poverty line as of 2020. In Samoa, however, that number is 21.9% as of 2018.

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make 25.1 times more money

Burundi has a GDP per capita of $234 as of 2025, while in Samoa, the GDP per capita is $5,873 as of 2025.

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be 5.4 times more likely to be unemployed

In Burundi, 0.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Samoa, that number is 5.0% as of 2025.

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Life

be 74.2% less likely to die during childbirth

In Burundi, approximately 392.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Samoa, 101.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 32.7% more likely to be literate

In Burundi, the literacy rate is 74.7% as of 2021. In Samoa, it is 99.1% as of 2021.

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be 59.7% less likely to die during infancy

In Burundi, approximately 30.5 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Samoa, on the other hand, 12.3 children do as of 2024.

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have 24.8% fewer children

In Burundi, there are approximately 33.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Samoa, there are 25.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 8.6 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Burundi, approximately 12% of people have electricity access (65% in urban areas, and 2% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Samoa, 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 8.8 times more likely to have internet access

In Burundi, approximately 8.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Samoa, about 75.3% do as of 2022.

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be 50.8% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Burundi, approximately 66% of people have access to drinking water (91% in urban areas, and 61% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Samoa, that number is 99% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 99% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 25.4% less on healthcare

Burundi spends 9.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Samoa, that number is 6.8% of GDP as of 2023.

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spend 21.3% more on education

Burundi spends 4.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2025. Samoa spends 5.5% of total GDP on education as of 2024.

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Safety

be 22.0% less likely to die in a road accident

In Burundi, road accidents kill 12.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Samoa, they kill 9.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 10.8% more likely to be murdered

Burundi has a homicide rate of 5.7 per 100,000 people as of 2016. In Samoa, that number is 6.3 per 100,000 as of 2018.

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Infrastructure

find 44.0 times more home broadband

Burundi has 0.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Samoa has 0.9 as of 2022.

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Environment

be 52.1% less likely to die from air pollution

In Burundi, air pollution causes 71.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Samoa, it causes 34.0 as of 2019.

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emit 22.9 times more CO2

Burundi emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Samoa emits 1.6 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2016–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this

Samoa: At a glance

Samoa is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 2,821 sq km. New Zealand occupied the German protectorate of Western Samoa at the outbreak of World War I in 1914. It continued to administer the islands as a mandate and then as a trust territory until 1962, when the islands became the first Polynesian nation to reestablish independence in the 20th century. The country dropped the "Western" from its name in 1997.
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How big is Samoa compared to Burundi? See an in-depth size comparison.

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