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

Health

be 18.7% less likely to be obese

In Kyrgyzstan, 22.0% 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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be 87.4% less likely to die by suicide

Kyrgyzstan has a suicide rate of 6.8 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 2.5 years less

In Kyrgyzstan, the average life expectancy is 72 years (68 years for men, 77 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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have 70.4% fewer doctors per person

Kyrgyzstan has 15.7 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Sao Tome and Principe has 4.6 as of 2022.

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have 14.5% less access to essential health services

Kyrgyzstan scores 69 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Sao Tome and Principe scores 59 as of 2021.

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Economy

make 32.6% more money

Kyrgyzstan has a GDP per capita of $3,081 as of 2025, while in Sao Tome and Principe, the GDP per capita is $4,084 as of 2025.

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be 2.6 times more likely to be unemployed

In Kyrgyzstan, 3.5% 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 37.8% less likely to die during infancy

In Kyrgyzstan, approximately 14.8 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 44.8% more children

In Kyrgyzstan, there are approximately 19.4 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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be 78.6% more likely to die during childbirth

In Kyrgyzstan, approximately 42.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Sao Tome and Principe, 75.0 women do as of 2023.

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Basic Needs

be 18.7% less likely to have access to electricity

In Kyrgyzstan, 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.

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be 35.8% less likely to have internet access

In Kyrgyzstan, approximately 92.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, about 59.1% do as of 2024.

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be 17.9% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Kyrgyzstan, approximately 95% of people have access to drinking water (99% in urban areas, and 92% 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 26.4% less on education

Kyrgyzstan spends 6.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Sao Tome and Principe spends 5.0% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 28.2% more on healthcare

Kyrgyzstan spends 4.5% 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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Safety

be 12.0% less likely to die in a road accident

In Kyrgyzstan, road accidents kill 13.3 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 96.2% less strain on fresh water

Kyrgyzstan withdraws 50% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Sao Tome and Principe withdraws 2% as of 2022.

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find 61.7% less home broadband

Kyrgyzstan has 7.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Sao Tome and Principe has 3.0 as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 57.7% less CO2

Kyrgyzstan emits 1.5 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 (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024). 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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