Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Samoa instead of Cameroon, you would:
Health
live 7.9 years longer
In Cameroon, 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.
see 92.7% more spent on your healthcare
Cameroon spends $246 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Samoa spends $475 as of 2023.
have 4.1 times more doctors per person
Cameroon has 1.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Samoa has 5.6 as of 2021.
have 25.0% more access to essential health services
Cameroon scores 44 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Samoa scores 55 as of 2021.
be 4.0 times more likely to be obese
In Cameroon, 16.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Samoa, that number is 64.3% of people as of 2024.
be 41.2% more likely to die by suicide
Cameroon has a suicide rate of 8.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Samoa, it is 12.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 41.9% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Cameroon, 37.7% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Samoa, however, that number is 21.9% as of 2018.
make 3.0 times more money
Cameroon has a GDP per capita of $1,972 as of 2025, while in Samoa, the GDP per capita is $5,873 as of 2025.
be 38.9% more likely to be unemployed
In Cameroon, 3.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Samoa, that number is 5.0% as of 2025.
Life
be 60.9% less likely to die during childbirth
In Cameroon, approximately 258.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Samoa, 101.0 women do as of 2023.
be 36.6% more likely to be literate
In Cameroon, the literacy rate is 72.5% as of 2018. In Samoa, it is 99.1% as of 2021.
be 69.4% less likely to die during infancy
In Cameroon, approximately 40.2 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.
have 25.1% fewer children
In Cameroon, there are approximately 33.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Samoa, there are 25.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 38.9% more likely to have access to electricity
In Cameroon, approximately 72% of people have electricity access (96% in urban areas, and 26% 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.
be 62.8% more likely to have internet access
In Cameroon, approximately 46.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Samoa, about 75.3% do as of 2022.
be 39.3% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Cameroon, approximately 71% of people have access to drinking water (82% in urban areas, and 56% 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.
Expenditures
spend 92.3% more on education
Cameroon spends 2.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Samoa spends 5.5% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 49.0% more on healthcare
Cameroon spends 4.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Samoa, that number is 6.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Infrastructure
find 58.7% less home broadband
Cameroon has 2.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Samoa has 0.9 as of 2022.
Environment
be 66.3% less likely to die from air pollution
In Cameroon, air pollution causes 101.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Samoa, it causes 34.0 as of 2019.
emit 4.6 times more CO2
Cameroon emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Samoa emits 1.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2018–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Cameroon vs. Samoa
Samoa: At a glance
How big is Samoa compared to Cameroon? See an in-depth size comparison.