Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Sao Tome and Principe instead of Cameroon, you would:
Health
live 5.9 years longer
In Cameroon, 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 44.2% more spent on your healthcare
Cameroon spends $246 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Sao Tome and Principe spends $355 as of 2023.
have 3.4 times more doctors per person
Cameroon has 1.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Sao Tome and Principe has 4.6 as of 2022.
have 34.1% more access to essential health services
Cameroon scores 44 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Sao Tome and Principe scores 59 as of 2021.
be 89.9% less likely to die by suicide
Cameroon has a suicide rate of 8.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Sao Tome and Principe, it is 0.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 11.7% more likely to be obese
In Cameroon, 16.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 17.9% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 2.1 times more money
Cameroon has a GDP per capita of $1,972 as of 2025, while in Sao Tome and Principe, the GDP per capita is $4,084 as of 2025.
be 2.5 times more likely to be unemployed
In Cameroon, 3.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 9.1% as of 2025.
Life
be 70.9% 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 Sao Tome and Principe, 75.0 women do as of 2023.
be 30.7% more likely to be literate
In Cameroon, the literacy rate is 72.5% as of 2018. In Sao Tome and Principe, it is 94.8% as of 2021.
be 77.1% 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 Sao Tome and Principe, on the other hand, 9.2 children do as of 2024.
have 15.7% fewer children
In Cameroon, there are approximately 33.3 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 12.9% 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 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 27.8% more likely to have internet access
In Cameroon, approximately 46.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, about 59.1% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 77.1% more on education
Cameroon spends 2.8% 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 26.8% more on healthcare
Cameroon spends 4.5% 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 48.0% less coastline
Cameroon has a total of 402 km of coastline. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 209 km.
Safety
be 10.4% more likely to die in a road accident
In Cameroon, road accidents kill 10.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Sao Tome and Principe, they kill 11.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 40.4% more home broadband
Cameroon has 2.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Sao Tome and Principe has 3.0 as of 2024.
live with 20.5% more strain on fresh water
Cameroon withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Sao Tome and Principe withdraws 2% as of 2022.
Environment
be 15.8% less likely to die from air pollution
In Cameroon, air pollution causes 101.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Sao Tome and Principe, it causes 85.0 as of 2019.
emit 80.0% more CO2
Cameroon emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Sao Tome and Principe emits 0.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2018–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Cameroon vs. Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: At a glance
How big is Sao Tome and Principe compared to Cameroon? See an in-depth size comparison.