If you lived in Equatorial Guinea instead of French Polynesia, you would:

Health

be 60.9% less likely to be obese

In French Polynesia, 49.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Equatorial Guinea, that number is 19.2% of people as of 2024.

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live 20.3 years less

In French Polynesia, the average life expectancy is 84 years (82 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024. In Equatorial Guinea, that number is 64 years (62 years for men, 66 years for women) as of 2024.

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Economy

be 28.5% less likely to be unemployed

In French Polynesia, 11.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Equatorial Guinea, that number is 8.3% as of 2025.

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make 70.5% less money

French Polynesia has a GDP per capita of $22,440 as of 2024, while in Equatorial Guinea, the GDP per capita is $6,615 as of 2025.

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Life

have 2.8 times more children

In French Polynesia, there are approximately 10.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Equatorial Guinea, there are 30.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 10.8 times more likely to die during infancy

In French Polynesia, approximately 4.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Equatorial Guinea, on the other hand, 47.6 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 33.1% less likely to have access to electricity

In French Polynesia, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Equatorial Guinea, that number is 67% of people on average (89% in urban areas, and 2% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 12.9% less likely to have internet access

In French Polynesia, approximately 72.7% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Equatorial Guinea, about 63.3% do as of 2024.

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Geography

see 88.3% less coastline

French Polynesia has a total of 2,525 km of coastline. In Equatorial Guinea, that number is 296 km.

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Infrastructure

find 99.7% less home broadband

French Polynesia has 35.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Equatorial Guinea has 0.1 as of 2022.

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Environment

emit 26.3% less CO2

French Polynesia emits 3.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Equatorial Guinea emits 2.5 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), The World Factbook (2021–2022), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Equatorial Guinea: At a glance

Equatorial Guinea is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 28,051 sq km. Equatorial Guinea gained independence in 1968 after 190 years of Spanish rule. This tiny country, composed of a mainland portion plus five inhabited islands, is one of the smallest on the African continent. President Teodoro Obiang NGUEMA MBASOGO has ruled the country since 1979 when he seized power in a coup. Although nominally a constitutional democracy since 1991, the 1996, 2002, and 2009 presidential elections - as well as the 1999, 2004, 2008, and 2013 legislative elections - were widely seen as flawed. The president exerts almost total control over the political system and has discouraged political opposition. Equatorial Guinea has experienced rapid economic growth due to the discovery of large offshore oil reserves, and in the last decade has become Sub-Saharan Africa's third largest oil exporter. Despite the country's economic windfall from oil production, resulting in a massive increase in government revenue in recent years, improvements in the population's living standards have been slow to develop.
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