If you lived in Namibia instead of Guinea-Bissau, you would:

Health

live 3.3 years longer

In Guinea-Bissau, the average life expectancy is 64 years (62 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2024. In Namibia, that number is 68 years (63 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.

View global rankings →

see 4.3 times more spent on your healthcare

Guinea-Bissau spends $247 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Namibia spends $1,068 as of 2023.

View global rankings →

have 2.2 times more doctors per person

Guinea-Bissau has 2.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Namibia has 5.5 as of 2022.

View global rankings →

have 70.3% more access to essential health services

Guinea-Bissau scores 37 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Namibia scores 63 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

be 4.1 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Guinea-Bissau, 2.2% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Namibia, that number is 9.0% of people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 43.7% more likely to be obese

In Guinea-Bissau, 12.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Namibia, that number is 18.3% of people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 12.0% more likely to die by suicide

Guinea-Bissau has a suicide rate of 7.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Namibia, it is 8.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Economy

make 4.3 times more money

Guinea-Bissau has a GDP per capita of $1,124 as of 2025, while in Namibia, the GDP per capita is $4,876 as of 2025.

View global rankings →

be 7.2 times more likely to be unemployed

In Guinea-Bissau, 2.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Namibia, that number is 19.3% as of 2025.

View global rankings →

Life

be 72.5% less likely to die during childbirth

In Guinea-Bissau, approximately 505.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Namibia, 139.0 women do as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 37.1% more likely to be literate

In Guinea-Bissau, the literacy rate is 63.9% as of 2022. In Namibia, it is 87.6% as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 13.5% less likely to die during infancy

In Guinea-Bissau, approximately 42.1 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Namibia, on the other hand, 36.4 children do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

have 12.4% fewer children

In Guinea-Bissau, there are approximately 29.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Namibia, there are 25.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Basic Needs

be 40.0% more likely to have access to electricity

In Guinea-Bissau, approximately 40% of people have electricity access (64% in urban areas, and 21% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Namibia, that number is 57% of people on average (75% in urban areas, and 34% in rural areas) as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 2.2 times more likely to have internet access

In Guinea-Bissau, approximately 29.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Namibia, about 64.9% do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 40.0% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Guinea-Bissau, approximately 62% of people have access to drinking water (73% in urban areas, and 53% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Namibia, that number is 87% of people on average (96% in urban areas, and 74% in rural areas) as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Geography

see 4.5 times more coastline

Guinea-Bissau has a total of 350 km of coastline. In Namibia, that number is 1,572 km.

View global rankings →

Safety

be 27.9% less likely to die in a road accident

In Guinea-Bissau, road accidents kill 30.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Namibia, they kill 22.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Infrastructure

find 7.3 times more home broadband

Guinea-Bissau has 0.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Namibia has 2.8 as of 2024.

View global rankings →

live with 79.3% less strain on fresh water

Guinea-Bissau withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Namibia withdraws 0% as of 2022.

View global rankings →

Environment

be 51.7% less likely to die from air pollution

In Guinea-Bissau, air pollution causes 89.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Namibia, it causes 43.0 as of 2019.

View global rankings →

emit 7.5 times more CO2

Guinea-Bissau emits 0.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Namibia emits 1.2 tonnes as of 2024.

View global rankings →


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

Namibia: At a glance

Namibia is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 823,290 sq km. South Africa occupied the German colony of South-West Africa during World War I and administered it as a mandate until after World War II, when it annexed the territory. In 1966 the Marxist South-West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) guerrilla group launched a war of independence for the area that became Namibia, but it was not until 1988 that South Africa agreed to end its administration in accordance with a UN peace plan for the entire region. Namibia has been governed by SWAPO since the country won independence in 1990. Hifikepunye POHAMBA was elected president in November 2004 in a landslide victory replacing Sam NUJOMA who led the country during its first 14 years of self rule. POHAMBA was reelected in November 2009.
Read more

How big is Namibia compared to Guinea-Bissau? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Namibia or Guinea-Bissau. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.