If you lived in Sao Tome and Principe instead of India, you would:

Health

be 93.2% less likely to die by suicide

India has a suicide rate of 12.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Sao Tome and Principe, it is 0.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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live 2.3 years less

In India, the average life expectancy is 72 years (71 years for men, 74 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.

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be 2.2 times more likely to be obese

In India, 8.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 17.9% of people as of 2024.

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have 35.8% fewer doctors per person

India has 7.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2020. Sao Tome and Principe has 4.6 as of 2022.

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Economy

make 51.1% more money

India has a GDP per capita of $2,702 as of 2025, while in Sao Tome and Principe, the GDP per capita is $4,084 as of 2025.

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be 2.2 times more likely to be unemployed

In India, 4.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 9.1% as of 2025.

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Life

be 21.3% more likely to be literate

In India, the literacy rate is 78.2% as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, it is 94.8% as of 2021.

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be 60.5% less likely to die during infancy

In India, approximately 23.3 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.

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have 75.8% more children

In India, there are approximately 16.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, there are 28.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 18.3% less likely to have access to electricity

In India, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 99% 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.

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be 15.5% less likely to have internet access

In India, approximately 70.0% of the population has internet access as of 2025. In Sao Tome and Principe, about 59.1% do as of 2024.

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be 18.6% less likely to have access to drinking water

In India, approximately 96% of people have access to drinking water (97% in urban areas, and 95% 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.

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Expenditures

spend 22.7% more on education

India spends 4.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Sao Tome and Principe spends 5.0% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 72.8% more on healthcare

India spends 3.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 5.8% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 97.0% less coastline

India has a total of 7,000 km of coastline. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 209 km.

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Safety

be 24.0% less likely to die in a road accident

In India, road accidents kill 15.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Sao Tome and Principe, they kill 11.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

live with 97.2% less strain on fresh water

India withdraws 66% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Sao Tome and Principe withdraws 2% as of 2022.

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Environment

emit 71.0% less CO2

India emits 2.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Sao Tome and Principe emits 0.6 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), The World Factbook (2021), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this

Sao Tome and Principe: At a glance

Sao Tome and Principe is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 964 sq km. Discovered and claimed by Portugal in the late 15th century, the islands' sugar-based economy gave way to coffee and cocoa in the 19th century - all grown with African plantation slave labor, a form of which lingered into the 20th century. While independence was achieved in 1975, democratic reforms were not instituted until the late 1980s. The country held its first free elections in 1991, but frequent internal wrangling between the various political parties precipitated repeated changes in leadership and two failed coup attempts in 1995 and 2003. In 2012, three opposition parties combined in a no confidence vote to bring down the majority government of former Prime Minister Patrice TROVOADA. The new government of Prime Minister Gabriel Arcanjo Ferreira DA COSTA is entirely composed of opposition party members with limited experience in governance. New oil discoveries in the Gulf of Guinea may attract increased attention to the small island nation.
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How big is Sao Tome and Principe compared to India? See an in-depth size comparison.

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