If you lived in Samoa instead of Gabon, you would:

Health

live 3.3 years longer

In Gabon, the average life expectancy is 69 years (66 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024. In Samoa, that number is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.

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have 12.2% more access to essential health services

Gabon scores 49 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Samoa scores 55 as of 2021.

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be 2.8 times more likely to be obese

In Gabon, 22.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Samoa, that number is 64.3% of people as of 2024.

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see 29.5% less spent on your healthcare

Gabon spends $673 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Samoa spends $475 as of 2023.

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be 64.4% more likely to die by suicide

Gabon has a suicide rate of 7.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Samoa, it is 12.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 75.2% less likely to be unemployed

In Gabon, 20.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Samoa, that number is 5.0% as of 2025.

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be 34.4% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Gabon, 33.4% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Samoa, however, that number is 21.9% as of 2018.

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make 28.9% less money

Gabon has a GDP per capita of $8,263 as of 2025, while in Samoa, the GDP per capita is $5,873 as of 2025.

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Life

be 56.7% less likely to die during childbirth

In Gabon, approximately 233.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Samoa, 101.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 11.5% more likely to be literate

In Gabon, the literacy rate is 88.9% as of 2021. In Samoa, it is 99.1% as of 2021.

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be 52.5% less likely to die during infancy

In Gabon, approximately 25.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Samoa, on the other hand, 12.3 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 12.2% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Gabon, approximately 89% of people have access to drinking water (92% in urban areas, and 49% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Samoa, that number is 99% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 99% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 2.4 times more on education

Gabon spends 2.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Samoa spends 5.5% of total GDP on education as of 2024.

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spend 2.2 times more on healthcare

Gabon spends 3.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Samoa, that number is 6.8% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 54.5% less coastline

Gabon has a total of 885 km of coastline. In Samoa, that number is 403 km.

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Safety

be 23.2% less likely to die in a road accident

In Gabon, road accidents kill 12.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Samoa, they kill 9.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 81.2% less home broadband

Gabon has 4.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Samoa has 0.9 as of 2022.

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Environment

be 35.8% less likely to die from air pollution

In Gabon, air pollution causes 53.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Samoa, it causes 34.0 as of 2019.

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emit 22.0% less CO2

Gabon emits 2.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Samoa emits 1.6 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2017–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Samoa: At a glance

Samoa is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 2,821 sq km. New Zealand occupied the German protectorate of Western Samoa at the outbreak of World War I in 1914. It continued to administer the islands as a mandate and then as a trust territory until 1962, when the islands became the first Polynesian nation to reestablish independence in the 20th century. The country dropped the "Western" from its name in 1997.
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How big is Samoa compared to Gabon? See an in-depth size comparison.

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