Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Sao Tome and Principe instead of Ghana, you would:
Health
live 4.2 years longer
In Ghana, the average life expectancy is 66 years (63 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 51.4% more spent on your healthcare
Ghana spends $234 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Sao Tome and Principe spends $355 as of 2023.
have 74.4% more doctors per person
Ghana has 2.7 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Sao Tome and Principe has 4.6 as of 2022.
have 22.9% more access to essential health services
Ghana scores 48 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Sao Tome and Principe scores 59 as of 2021.
be 83.8% less likely to die by suicide
Ghana has a suicide rate of 5.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Sao Tome and Principe, it is 0.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 23.2% more likely to be obese
In Ghana, 14.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 17.9% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 25.4% more money
Ghana has a GDP per capita of $3,257 as of 2025, while in Sao Tome and Principe, the GDP per capita is $4,084 as of 2025.
be 3.1 times more likely to be unemployed
In Ghana, 3.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 9.1% as of 2025.
be 2.4 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Ghana, 23.4% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Sao Tome and Principe, however, that number is 55.5% as of 2017.
Life
be 67.9% less likely to die during childbirth
In Ghana, approximately 234.0 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 23.9% more likely to be literate
In Ghana, the literacy rate is 76.5% as of 2021. In Sao Tome and Principe, it is 94.8% as of 2021.
be 66.5% less likely to die during infancy
In Ghana, approximately 27.5 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 18.1% less likely to have internet access
In Ghana, approximately 72.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, about 59.1% do as of 2024.
be 13.3% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Ghana, approximately 90% of people have access to drinking water (99% in urban areas, and 76% 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 72.9% more on education
Ghana spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Sao Tome and Principe spends 5.0% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 95.6% more on healthcare
Ghana spends 3.0% 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 61.2% less coastline
Ghana has a total of 539 km of coastline. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 209 km.
Safety
be 54.8% less likely to die in a road accident
In Ghana, road accidents kill 25.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Sao Tome and Principe, they kill 11.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 4.5 times more home broadband
Ghana has 0.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Sao Tome and Principe has 3.0 as of 2024.
live with 70.2% less strain on fresh water
Ghana withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Sao Tome and Principe withdraws 2% as of 2022.
Sources: World Bank (2016–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), The World Factbook (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Ghana vs. Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: At a glance
How big is Sao Tome and Principe compared to Ghana? See an in-depth size comparison.