Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Sao Tome and Principe instead of Burundi, you would:
Health
live 6.1 years longer
In Burundi, the average life expectancy is 64 years (62 years for men, 66 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.
see 3.5 times more spent on your healthcare
Burundi spends $100 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Sao Tome and Principe spends $355 as of 2023.
have 5.9 times more doctors per person
Burundi has 0.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Sao Tome and Principe has 4.6 as of 2022.
have 43.9% more access to essential health services
Burundi scores 41 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Sao Tome and Principe scores 59 as of 2021.
be 88.8% less likely to die by suicide
Burundi has a suicide rate of 7.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Sao Tome and Principe, it is 0.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 3.5 times more likely to be obese
In Burundi, 5.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 17.9% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 17.5 times more money
Burundi has a GDP per capita of $234 as of 2025, while in Sao Tome and Principe, the GDP per capita is $4,084 as of 2025.
be 9.9 times more likely to be unemployed
In Burundi, 0.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 9.1% as of 2025.
Life
be 80.9% 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 Sao Tome and Principe, 75.0 women do as of 2023.
be 26.9% more likely to be literate
In Burundi, the literacy rate is 74.7% as of 2021. In Sao Tome and Principe, it is 94.8% as of 2021.
be 69.8% 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 Sao Tome and Principe, on the other hand, 9.2 children do as of 2024.
have 15.4% fewer children
In Burundi, there are approximately 33.2 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 7.0 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 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 6.9 times more likely to have internet access
In Burundi, approximately 8.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, about 59.1% do as of 2024.
be 18.3% 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 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 36.5% less on healthcare
Burundi spends 9.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 5.8% of GDP as of 2023.
spend 11.8% more on education
Burundi spends 4.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2025. Sao Tome and Principe spends 5.0% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Infrastructure
find 149.5 times more home broadband
Burundi has 0.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Sao Tome and Principe has 3.0 as of 2024.
live with 81.6% less strain on fresh water
Burundi withdraws 10% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Sao Tome and Principe withdraws 2% as of 2022.
Environment
be 19.7% more likely to die from air pollution
In Burundi, air pollution causes 71.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Sao Tome and Principe, it causes 85.0 as of 2019.
emit 9.0 times more CO2
Burundi emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Sao Tome and Principe emits 0.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Burundi vs. Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: At a glance
How big is Sao Tome and Principe compared to Burundi? See an in-depth size comparison.