Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Sao Tome and Principe instead of Eritrea, you would:
Health
live 1.0 years longer
In Eritrea, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 71 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 4.1 times more spent on your healthcare
Eritrea spends $87 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Sao Tome and Principe spends $355 as of 2023.
have 5.3 times more doctors per person
Eritrea has 0.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Sao Tome and Principe has 4.6 as of 2022.
have 31.1% more access to essential health services
Eritrea scores 45 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Sao Tome and Principe scores 59 as of 2021.
be 93.5% less likely to die by suicide
Eritrea has a suicide rate of 13.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Sao Tome and Principe, it is 0.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 4.1 times more likely to be obese
In Eritrea, 4.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 17.9% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 52.7% more likely to be unemployed
In Eritrea, 6.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 9.1% as of 2025.
Life
be 74.2% less likely to die during childbirth
In Eritrea, approximately 291.0 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 23.8% more likely to be literate
In Eritrea, the literacy rate is 76.6% as of 2018. In Sao Tome and Principe, it is 94.8% as of 2021.
be 62.8% less likely to die during infancy
In Eritrea, approximately 24.7 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.
Basic Needs
be 49.4% more likely to have access to electricity
In Eritrea, approximately 54% of people have electricity access (77% in urban areas, and 37% 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 2.2 times more likely to have internet access
In Eritrea, approximately 26.6% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Sao Tome and Principe, about 59.1% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 56.8% more on healthcare
Eritrea spends 3.7% 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 90.6% less coastline
Eritrea has a total of 2,234 km of coastline. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 209 km.
Safety
be 78.1% less likely to be murdered
Eritrea has a homicide rate of 14.6 per 100,000 people as of 2012. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 3.2 per 100,000 as of 2011.
be 33.9% less likely to die in a road accident
In Eritrea, road accidents kill 17.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Sao Tome and Principe, they kill 11.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 17.6 times more home broadband
Eritrea has 0.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Sao Tome and Principe has 3.0 as of 2024.
live with 83.2% less strain on fresh water
Eritrea withdraws 11% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Sao Tome and Principe withdraws 2% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 2.9 times more CO2
Eritrea emits 0.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Sao Tome and Principe emits 0.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2011–2022), The World Factbook (2018–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Eritrea vs. Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: At a glance
How big is Sao Tome and Principe compared to Eritrea? See an in-depth size comparison.