If you lived in Niger instead of District of Columbia, you would:

Health

be 73.2% less likely to be obese

In District of Columbia, 25.3% of adults are obese as of 2022. In Niger, that number is 6.8% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

be 93.9% less likely to be unemployed

In District of Columbia, 6.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Niger, that number is 0.4% as of 2025.

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be 3.0 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In District of Columbia, 13.6% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Niger, however, that number is 41.2% as of 2021.

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make 99.6% less money

District of Columbia has a GDP per capita of $209,167 as of 2024, while in Niger, the GDP per capita is $775 as of 2025.

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Basic Needs

be 82.8% less likely to have internet access

In District of Columbia, approximately 90.3% of the population has internet access as of 2023. In Niger, about 15.6% do as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), World Health Organization (2024), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024). How we calculate this

Niger: At a glance

Niger is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 1,266,700 sq km. Niger became independent from France in 1960 and experienced single-party and military rule until 1991, when Gen. Ali SAIBOU was forced by public pressure to allow multiparty elections, which resulted in a democratic government in 1993. Political infighting brought the government to a standstill and in 1996 led to a coup by Col. Ibrahim BARE. In 1999, BARE was killed in a counter coup by military officers who restored democratic rule and held elections that brought Mamadou TANDJA to power in December of that year. TANDJA was reelected in 2004 and in 2009 spearheaded a constitutional amendment that would allow him to extend his term as president. In February 2010, a military coup deposed TANDJA, immediately suspended the constitution, and dissolved the Cabinet. ISSOUFOU Mahamadou emerged victorious from a crowded field in the election following the coup and was inaugurated in April 2011. Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world with minimal government services and insufficient funds to develop its resource base. The largely agrarian and subsistence-based economy is frequently disrupted by extended droughts common to the Sahel region of Africa. The Nigerien Movement for Justice, a predominantly ethnic Tuareg rebel group, emerged in February 2007, and attacked several military targets in Niger's northern region throughout 2007 and 2008. Successful government offensives in 2009 ended the rebellion. Niger is facing increased security concerns on its borders from various external threats including insecurity in Libya, spillover from the conflict in Mali, and violent extremism in northeastern Nigeria.
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