Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Sao Tome and Principe instead of Cambodia, you would:
Health
have 2.2 times more doctors per person
Cambodia has 2.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2019. Sao Tome and Principe has 4.6 as of 2022.
be 80.9% less likely to die by suicide
Cambodia has a suicide rate of 4.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Sao Tome and Principe, it is 0.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 0.9 years less
In Cambodia, the average life expectancy is 71 years (68 years for men, 73 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 3.6 times more likely to be obese
In Cambodia, 4.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 17.9% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 42.2% more money
Cambodia has a GDP per capita of $2,872 as of 2025, while in Sao Tome and Principe, the GDP per capita is $4,084 as of 2025.
be 35.1 times more likely to be unemployed
In Cambodia, 0.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 9.1% as of 2025.
be 3.4 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Cambodia, 16.5% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Sao Tome and Principe, however, that number is 55.5% as of 2017.
Life
be 45.3% less likely to die during childbirth
In Cambodia, approximately 137.0 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 31.8% more likely to be literate
In Cambodia, the literacy rate is 71.9% as of 2021. In Sao Tome and Principe, it is 94.8% as of 2021.
be 43.9% less likely to die during infancy
In Cambodia, approximately 16.4 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 38.3% more children
In Cambodia, there are approximately 20.3 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 14.4% less likely to have access to electricity
In Cambodia, approximately 95% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 93% 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 13.7% less likely to have internet access
In Cambodia, approximately 68.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, about 59.1% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.3 times more on education
Cambodia spends 2.2% 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 24.9% more on healthcare
Cambodia spends 4.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 5.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 52.8% less coastline
Cambodia has a total of 443 km of coastline. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 209 km.
Safety
be 37.8% less likely to die in a road accident
In Cambodia, road accidents kill 18.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Sao Tome and Principe, they kill 11.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 77.8% more likely to be murdered
Cambodia has a homicide rate of 1.8 per 100,000 people as of 2011. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 3.2 per 100,000 as of 2011.
Infrastructure
find 28.0% less home broadband
Cambodia has 4.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Sao Tome and Principe has 3.0 as of 2024.
live with 80.8% more strain on fresh water
Cambodia withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Sao Tome and Principe withdraws 2% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 42.7% less CO2
Cambodia emits 1.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Sao Tome and Principe emits 0.6 tonnes as of 2024.
be 41.7% more likely to die from air pollution
In Cambodia, air pollution causes 60.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Sao Tome and Principe, it causes 85.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2017–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2011–2021), The World Factbook (2016–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Cambodia vs. Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: At a glance
How big is Sao Tome and Principe compared to Cambodia? See an in-depth size comparison.