If you lived in Solomon Islands instead of Democratic Republic of the Congo, you would:

Health

live 8.6 years longer

In Democratic Republic of the Congo, the average life expectancy is 62 years (60 years for men, 64 years for women) as of 2024. In Solomon Islands, that number is 71 years (69 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.

View global rankings →

see 2.7 times more spent on your healthcare

Democratic Republic of the Congo spends $58 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Solomon Islands spends $153 as of 2023.

View global rankings →

have 14.4% more doctors per person

Democratic Republic of the Congo has 2.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Solomon Islands has 2.4 as of 2023.

View global rankings →

have 11.9% more access to essential health services

Democratic Republic of the Congo scores 42 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Solomon Islands scores 47 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

be 3.3 times more likely to be obese

In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 6.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Solomon Islands, that number is 21.8% of people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 2.2 times more likely to die by suicide

Democratic Republic of the Congo has a suicide rate of 8.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Solomon Islands, it is 19.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Economy

be 67.7% less likely to be unemployed

In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 4.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Solomon Islands, that number is 1.4% as of 2025.

View global rankings →

make 2.6 times more money

Democratic Republic of the Congo has a GDP per capita of $807 as of 2025, while in Solomon Islands, the GDP per capita is $2,086 as of 2025.

View global rankings →

Life

be 71.2% less likely to die during childbirth

In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 427.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Solomon Islands, 123.0 women do as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 70.9% less likely to die during infancy

In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 56.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Solomon Islands, on the other hand, 16.4 children do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

have 34.7% fewer children

In Democratic Republic of the Congo, there are approximately 40.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Solomon Islands, there are 26.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Basic Needs

be 3.7 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 22% of people have electricity access (56% in urban areas, and 1% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Solomon Islands, that number is 81% of people on average (81% in urban areas, and 81% in rural areas) as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 47.6% more likely to have internet access

In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 19.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Solomon Islands, about 29.0% do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 2.0 times more likely to have access to drinking water

In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 36% of people have access to drinking water (59% in urban areas, and 14% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Solomon Islands, that number is 72% of people on average (91% in urban areas, and 65% in rural areas) as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Expenditures

spend 2.9 times more on education

Democratic Republic of the Congo spends 2.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Solomon Islands spends 8.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

View global rankings →

spend 45.7% more on healthcare

Democratic Republic of the Congo spends 3.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Solomon Islands, that number is 5.4% of GDP as of 2023.

View global rankings →

Geography

see 143.6 times more coastline

Democratic Republic of the Congo has a total of 37 km of coastline. In Solomon Islands, that number is 5,313 km.

View global rankings →

Safety

be 31.3% less likely to die in a road accident

In Democratic Republic of the Congo, road accidents kill 16.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Solomon Islands, they kill 11.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Infrastructure

find 3.7 times more home broadband

Democratic Republic of the Congo has 0.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Solomon Islands has 0.1 as of 2022.

View global rankings →

Environment

be 20.8% less likely to die from air pollution

In Democratic Republic of the Congo, air pollution causes 72.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Solomon Islands, it causes 57.0 as of 2019.

View global rankings →

emit 6.3 times more CO2

Democratic Republic of the Congo emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Solomon Islands emits 0.4 tonnes as of 2024.

View global rankings →


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

Solomon Islands: At a glance

Solomon Islands is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 27,986 sq km. The UK established a protectorate over the Solomon Islands in the 1890s. Some of the most bitter fighting of World War II occurred on this archipelago. Self-government was achieved in 1976 and independence two years later. Ethnic violence, government malfeasance, and endemic crime have undermined stability and civil society. In June 2003, then Prime Minister Sir Allan KEMAKEZA sought the assistance of Australia in reestablishing law and order; the following month, an Australian-led multinational force arrived to restore peace and disarm ethnic militias. The Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) has generally been effective in restoring law and order and rebuilding government institutions.
Read more

How big is Solomon Islands compared to Democratic Republic of the Congo? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Solomon Islands or Democratic Republic of the Congo. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.