If you lived in Sao Tome and Principe instead of Faroe Islands, you would:

Health

live 13.2 years less

In Faroe Islands, the average life expectancy is 83 years (81 years for men, 85 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.

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Economy

be 5.5 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In Faroe Islands, 10.0% live below the poverty line as of 2015. In Sao Tome and Principe, however, that number is 55.5% as of 2017.

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make 94.5% less money

Faroe Islands has a GDP per capita of $74,175 as of 2024, while in Sao Tome and Principe, the GDP per capita is $4,084 as of 2025.

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Life

have 2.6 times more children

In Faroe Islands, there are approximately 10.8 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.

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be 53.6% more likely to die during infancy

In Faroe Islands, approximately 6.0 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Sao Tome and Principe, on the other hand, 9.2 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 18.7% less likely to have access to electricity

In Faroe Islands, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% 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.

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be 39.4% less likely to have internet access

In Faroe Islands, approximately 97.6% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Sao Tome and Principe, about 59.1% do as of 2024.

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be 22.0% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Faroe Islands, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, 78% of people do as of 2024.

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Geography

see 81.3% less coastline

Faroe Islands has a total of 1,117 km of coastline. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 209 km.

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Infrastructure

find 91.4% less home broadband

Faroe Islands has 34.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Sao Tome and Principe has 3.0 as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 15.7 times more CO2

Faroe Islands emits 0.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Sao Tome and Principe emits 0.6 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2017–2025), The World Factbook (2015–2022). How we calculate this

Sao Tome and Principe: At a glance

Sao Tome and Principe is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 964 sq km. Discovered and claimed by Portugal in the late 15th century, the islands' sugar-based economy gave way to coffee and cocoa in the 19th century - all grown with African plantation slave labor, a form of which lingered into the 20th century. While independence was achieved in 1975, democratic reforms were not instituted until the late 1980s. The country held its first free elections in 1991, but frequent internal wrangling between the various political parties precipitated repeated changes in leadership and two failed coup attempts in 1995 and 2003. In 2012, three opposition parties combined in a no confidence vote to bring down the majority government of former Prime Minister Patrice TROVOADA. The new government of Prime Minister Gabriel Arcanjo Ferreira DA COSTA is entirely composed of opposition party members with limited experience in governance. New oil discoveries in the Gulf of Guinea may attract increased attention to the small island nation.
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How big is Sao Tome and Principe compared to Faroe Islands? See an in-depth size comparison.

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