If you lived in Portugal instead of Central African Republic, you would:

Health

be 79.2% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Central African Republic, 2.4% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Portugal, that number is 0.5% of people as of 2024.

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live 24.7 years longer

In Central African Republic, the average life expectancy is 58 years (56 years for men, 60 years for women) as of 2024. In Portugal, that number is 82 years (80 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 36.1 times more spent on your healthcare

Central African Republic spends $137 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Portugal spends $4,928 as of 2024.

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have 79.1 times more doctors per person

Central African Republic has 0.7 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Portugal has 58.5 as of 2022.

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have 2.8 times more access to essential health services

Central African Republic scores 32 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Portugal scores 88 as of 2021.

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be 65.3% more likely to be obese

In Central African Republic, 10.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Portugal, that number is 18.1% of people as of 2024.

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be 25.4% more likely to die by suicide

Central African Republic has a suicide rate of 9.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Portugal, it is 11.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 76.2% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Central African Republic, 68.8% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Portugal, however, that number is 16.4% as of 2021.

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make 57.7 times more money

Central African Republic has a GDP per capita of $556 as of 2025, while in Portugal, the GDP per capita is $32,082 as of 2025.

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Life

be 97.8% less likely to die during childbirth

In Central African Republic, approximately 692.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Portugal, 15.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 2.6 times more likely to be literate

In Central African Republic, the literacy rate is 37.5% as of 2020. In Portugal, it is 95.9% as of 2021.

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be 95.4% less likely to die during infancy

In Central African Republic, approximately 58.8 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Portugal, on the other hand, 2.7 children do as of 2024.

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have 82.9% fewer children

In Central African Republic, there are approximately 46.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Portugal, there are 7.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 5.7 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Central African Republic, approximately 18% of people have electricity access (37% in urban areas, and 2% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Portugal, 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 6.4 times more likely to have internet access

In Central African Republic, approximately 13.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Portugal, about 88.5% do as of 2024.

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be 2.7 times more likely to have access to drinking water

In Central African Republic, approximately 36% of people have access to drinking water (48% in urban areas, and 27% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Portugal, that number is 99% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 98% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 2.5 times more on education

Central African Republic spends 1.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Portugal spends 4.5% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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Safety

be 72.2% less likely to die in a road accident

In Central African Republic, road accidents kill 25.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Portugal, they kill 7.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 2262.0 times more home broadband

Central African Republic has 0.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Portugal has 45.2 as of 2024.

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live with 36.2 times more strain on fresh water

Central African Republic withdraws 0% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Portugal withdraws 12% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 89.8% less likely to die from air pollution

In Central African Republic, air pollution causes 98.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Portugal, it causes 10.0 as of 2019.

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emit 55.3 times more CO2

Central African Republic emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Portugal emits 3.3 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2020–2021). How we calculate this

Portugal: At a glance

Portugal is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 91,470 sq km. Following its heyday as a global maritime power during the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal lost much of its wealth and status with the destruction of Lisbon in a 1755 earthquake, occupation during the Napoleonic Wars, and the independence of Brazil, its wealthiest colony, in 1822. A 1910 revolution deposed the monarchy; for most of the next six decades, repressive governments ran the country. In 1974, a left-wing military coup installed broad democratic reforms. The following year, Portugal granted independence to all of its African colonies. Portugal is a founding member of NATO and entered the EC (now the EU) in 1986.
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