Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Somalia instead of India, you would:
Health
be 36.6% less likely to die by suicide
India has a suicide rate of 12.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Somalia, it is 8.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 13.3 years less
In India, the average life expectancy is 72 years (71 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024. In Somalia, that number is 59 years (56 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2024.
be 86.1% more likely to be obese
In India, 8.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Somalia, that number is 14.9% of people as of 2024.
see 85.0% less spent on your healthcare
India spends $346 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Somalia spends $52 as of 2023.
have 57.1% less access to essential health services
India scores 63 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Somalia scores 27 as of 2021.
Economy
be 4.5 times more likely to be unemployed
In India, 4.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Somalia, that number is 18.9% as of 2025.
make 75.5% less money
India has a GDP per capita of $2,702 as of 2025, while in Somalia, the GDP per capita is $661 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.7 times more children
In India, there are approximately 16.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Somalia, there are 42.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 7.0 times more likely to die during childbirth
In India, approximately 80.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Somalia, 563.0 women do as of 2023.
be 30.8% less likely to be literate
In India, the literacy rate is 78.2% as of 2024. In Somalia, it is 54.1% as of 2022.
be 2.8 times more 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 Somalia, on the other hand, 65.4 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 49.4% 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 Somalia, that number is 50% of people on average (79% in urban areas, and 24% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 60.1% less likely to have internet access
In India, approximately 70.0% of the population has internet access as of 2025. In Somalia, about 27.9% do as of 2024.
be 21.3% 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 Somalia, that number is 75% of people on average (84% in urban areas, and 68% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 12.0% more on healthcare
India spends 3.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Somalia, that number is 3.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 56.8% less coastline
India has a total of 7,000 km of coastline. In Somalia, that number is 3,025 km.
Safety
be 31.2% more likely to die in a road accident
In India, road accidents kill 15.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Somalia, they kill 20.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 63.1% less strain on fresh water
India withdraws 66% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Somalia withdraws 25% as of 2022.
find 77.1% less home broadband
India has 3.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Somalia has 0.7 as of 2023.
Environment
be 22.9% less likely to die from air pollution
In India, air pollution causes 83.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Somalia, it causes 64.0 as of 2019.
emit 97.7% less CO2
India emits 2.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Somalia emits 0.1 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: India vs. Somalia
Somalia: At a glance
How big is Somalia compared to India? See an in-depth size comparison.