If you lived in Puerto Rico instead of Mali, you would:

Health

live 21.2 years longer

In Mali, the average life expectancy is 61 years (59 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2024. In Puerto Rico, that number is 82 years (78 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 3.2 times more likely to be obese

In Mali, 13.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Puerto Rico, that number is 42.4% of people as of 2024.

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be 30.3% more likely to die by suicide

Mali has a suicide rate of 4.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Puerto Rico, it is 5.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

make 34.0 times more money

Mali has a GDP per capita of $1,193 as of 2025, while in Puerto Rico, the GDP per capita is $40,620 as of 2025.

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be 2.1 times more likely to be unemployed

In Mali, 2.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Puerto Rico, that number is 6.0% as of 2025.

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Life

be 97.0% less likely to die during childbirth

In Mali, approximately 367.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Puerto Rico, 11.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 2.6 times more likely to be literate

In Mali, the literacy rate is 35.6% as of 2024. In Puerto Rico, it is 92.4% as of 2021.

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be 87.3% less likely to die during infancy

In Mali, approximately 47.5 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Puerto Rico, on the other hand, 6.0 children do as of 2022.

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have 85.6% fewer children

In Mali, there are approximately 39.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Puerto Rico, there are 5.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 83.5% more likely to have access to electricity

In Mali, approximately 54% of people have electricity access (92% in urban areas, and 23% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Puerto Rico, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 2.4 times more likely to have internet access

In Mali, approximately 36.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Puerto Rico, about 87.3% do as of 2022.

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be 15.8% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Mali, approximately 86% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Puerto Rico, 100% of people do as of 2024.

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Safety

be 38.1% less likely to die in a road accident

In Mali, road accidents kill 20.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Puerto Rico, they kill 12.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 36.4 times more home broadband

Mali has 0.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Puerto Rico has 28.0 as of 2024.

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live with 2.4 times more strain on fresh water

Mali withdraws 8% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Puerto Rico withdraws 20% as of 2022.

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Environment

emit 16.1 times more CO2

Mali emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Puerto Rico emits 4.8 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021–2022), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this

Puerto Rico: At a glance

Puerto Rico is a territory in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 8,959 sq km. Populated for centuries by aboriginal peoples, the island was claimed by the Spanish Crown in 1493 following Christopher COLUMBUS' second voyage to the Americas. In 1898, after 400 years of colonial rule that saw the indigenous population nearly exterminated and African slave labor introduced, Puerto Rico was ceded to the US as a result of the Spanish-American War. Puerto Ricans were granted US citizenship in 1917. Popularly-elected governors have served since 1948. In 1952, a constitution was enacted providing for internal self government. In plebiscites held in 1967, 1993, and 1998, voters chose not to alter the existing political status with the US, but the results of a 2012 vote left open the possibility of American statehood.
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