Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Yemen instead of Hong Kong, you would:

Health

live 16.0 years less

In Hong Kong, the average life expectancy is 85 years (83 years for men, 88 years for women) as of 2024. In Yemen, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.

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Economy

be 6.2 times more likely to be unemployed

In Hong Kong, 2.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Yemen, that number is 17.3% as of 2025.

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be 2.4 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In Hong Kong, 19.9% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Yemen, however, that number is 48.6% as of 2014.

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Life

have 7.0 times more children

In Hong Kong, there are approximately 4.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Yemen, there are 34.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 13.3 times more likely to die during infancy

In Hong Kong, approximately 2.5 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Yemen, on the other hand, 33.8 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 16.4% less likely to have access to electricity

In Hong Kong, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Yemen, that number is 84% of people on average (96% in urban areas, and 75% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 81.5% less likely to have internet access

In Hong Kong, approximately 95.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Yemen, about 17.7% do as of 2022.

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be 25.0% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Hong Kong, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Yemen, 75% of people do as of 2024.

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Geography

see 2.6 times more coastline

Hong Kong has a total of 733 km of coastline. In Yemen, that number is 1,906 km.

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Infrastructure

find 96.8% less home broadband

Hong Kong has 40.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Yemen has 1.3 as of 2022.

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use 98.6% less electricity

Hong Kong uses 6,359 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Yemen uses 90 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

emit 94.3% less CO2

Hong Kong emits 4.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Yemen emits 0.3 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), The World Factbook (2014–2022), United Nations SDG Indicators (2022). How we calculate this

Compare further: Hong Kong vs. Yemen

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Yemen is 57.2% cheaper than Hong Kong overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Hong Kong is about 477 times smaller than Yemen.
→
Moving from Hong Kong to Yemen · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
→

Yemen: At a glance

Yemen is a sovereign country in Middle East, with a total land area of approximately 527,968 sq km. North Yemen became independent of the Ottoman Empire in 1918. The British, who had set up a protectorate area around the southern port of Aden in the 19th century, withdrew in 1967 from what became South Yemen. Three years later, the southern government adopted a Marxist orientation. The massive exodus of hundreds of thousands of Yemenis from the south to the north contributed to two decades of hostility between the states. The two countries were formally unified as the Republic of Yemen in 1990. A southern secessionist movement and brief civil war in 1994 was quickly subdued. In 2000, Saudi Arabia and Yemen agreed to a delimitation of their border. Fighting in the northwest between the government and the Huthis, a Zaydi Shia minority, began in 2004 and has since resulted in six rounds of fighting - the last ended in early 2010 with a cease-fire that continues to hold. The southern secessionist movement was revitalized in 2008 when a popular socioeconomic protest movement initiated the prior year took on political goals including secession. Public rallies in Sana'a against then President SALIH - inspired by similar demonstrations in Tunisia and Egypt - slowly built momentum starting in late January 2011 fueled by complaints over high unemployment, poor economic conditions, and corruption. By the following month, some protests had resulted in violence, and the demonstrations had spread to other major cities. By March the opposition had hardened its demands and was unifying behind calls for SALIH's immediate ouster, and prominent military and tribal leaders began defecting from SALIH's camp. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in late April 2011, in an attempt to mediate the crisis in Yemen, proposed an agreement in which the president would step down in exchange for immunity from prosecution. SALIH's refusal to sign an agreement led to heavy street fighting and his injury in an explosion in June 2011. The UN Security Council passed Resolution 2014 in October 2011 calling on both sides to end the violence and complete a power transfer deal. In late November 2011, SALIH signed the GCC-brokered agreement to step down and to transfer some of his powers to Vice President Abd Rabuh Mansur HADI. Following elections in February 2012, won by HADI, SALIH formally transferred his powers. In accordance with the GCC initiative, Yemen launched a National Dialogue in March 2013 to discuss key constitutional, political, and social issues. HADI concluded the National Dialogue in January 2014. Subsequent steps in the transition process include constitutional drafting, a constitutional referendum, and national elections.
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