Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Sao Tome and Principe instead of Gambia, you would:
Health
live 3.8 years longer
In Gambia, the average life expectancy is 66 years (64 years for men, 68 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 3.8 times more spent on your healthcare
Gambia spends $94 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Sao Tome and Principe spends $355 as of 2023.
have 5.2 times more doctors per person
Gambia has 0.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Sao Tome and Principe has 4.6 as of 2022.
have 28.3% more access to essential health services
Gambia scores 46 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Sao Tome and Principe scores 59 as of 2021.
be 82.1% less likely to die by suicide
Gambia has a suicide rate of 4.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Sao Tome and Principe, it is 0.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 44.6% more likely to be obese
In Gambia, 12.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 17.9% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 4.4 times more money
Gambia has a GDP per capita of $919 as of 2025, while in Sao Tome and Principe, the GDP per capita is $4,084 as of 2025.
be 40.0% more likely to be unemployed
In Gambia, 6.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 9.1% as of 2025.
Life
be 78.8% less likely to die during childbirth
In Gambia, approximately 354.0 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 83.6% more likely to be literate
In Gambia, the literacy rate is 51.6% as of 2021. In Sao Tome and Principe, it is 94.8% as of 2021.
be 71.9% less likely to die during infancy
In Gambia, approximately 32.7 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 21.5% more likely to have access to electricity
In Gambia, approximately 67% of people have electricity access (85% in urban areas, and 35% 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 19.5% more likely to have internet access
In Gambia, approximately 49.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, about 59.1% do as of 2024.
be 10.5% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Gambia, approximately 87% of people have access to drinking water (92% in urban areas, and 78% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 78% of people on average (79% in urban areas, and 73% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 79.0% more on education
Gambia spends 2.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Sao Tome and Principe spends 5.0% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 99.7% more on healthcare
Gambia spends 2.9% 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 2.6 times more coastline
Gambia has a total of 80 km of coastline. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 209 km.
Safety
be 46.8% less likely to die in a road accident
In Gambia, road accidents kill 22.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Sao Tome and Principe, they kill 11.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 5.8 times more home broadband
Gambia has 0.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Sao Tome and Principe has 3.0 as of 2024.
live with 14.9% less strain on fresh water
Gambia withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Sao Tome and Principe withdraws 2% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 3.5 times more CO2
Gambia 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 (2021), The World Factbook (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Gambia vs. Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: At a glance
How big is Sao Tome and Principe compared to Gambia? See an in-depth size comparison.