Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Sao Tome and Principe instead of Iraq, you would:
Health
be 54.9% less likely to be obese
In Iraq, 39.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 17.9% of people as of 2024.
be 71.0% less likely to die by suicide
Iraq has a suicide rate of 3.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Sao Tome and Principe, it is 0.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 2.5 years less
In Iraq, the average life expectancy is 72 years (70 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.
see 57.9% less spent on your healthcare
Iraq spends $843 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Sao Tome and Principe spends $355 as of 2023.
have 54.6% fewer doctors per person
Iraq has 10.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Sao Tome and Principe has 4.6 as of 2022.
Economy
be 41.0% less likely to be unemployed
In Iraq, 15.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 9.1% as of 2025.
make 24.5% less money
Iraq has a GDP per capita of $5,410 as of 2025, while in Sao Tome and Principe, the GDP per capita is $4,084 as of 2025.
Life
be 12.8% more likely to be literate
In Iraq, the literacy rate is 84.1% as of 2021. In Sao Tome and Principe, it is 94.8% as of 2021.
be 54.2% less likely to die during infancy
In Iraq, approximately 20.1 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 18.7% less likely to have access to electricity
In Iraq, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% 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.
be 27.4% less likely to have internet access
In Iraq, approximately 81.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, about 59.1% do as of 2024.
be 20.8% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Iraq, approximately 98% of people have access to drinking water (100% 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.
Geography
see 3.6 times more coastline
Iraq has a total of 58 km of coastline. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 209 km.
Safety
be 66.0% less likely to be murdered
Iraq has a homicide rate of 9.4 per 100,000 people as of 2013. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 3.2 per 100,000 as of 2011.
be 45.6% less likely to die in a road accident
In Iraq, road accidents kill 21.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Sao Tome and Principe, they kill 11.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 96.8% less strain on fresh water
Iraq withdraws 60% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Sao Tome and Principe withdraws 2% as of 2022.
find 83.0% less home broadband
Iraq has 17.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Sao Tome and Principe has 3.0 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 87.8% less CO2
Iraq emits 5.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Sao Tome and Principe emits 0.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2011–2021), The World Factbook (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Iraq vs. Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: At a glance
How big is Sao Tome and Principe compared to Iraq? See an in-depth size comparison.