If you lived in Swaziland instead of Mali, you would:

Health

live 3.6 years longer

In Mali, the average life expectancy is 61 years (59 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2024. In Swaziland, that number is 64 years (61 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 8.9 times more spent on your healthcare

Mali spends $104 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Swaziland spends $922 as of 2023.

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have 3.0 times more doctors per person

Mali has 1.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Swaziland has 5.6 as of 2023.

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have 36.6% more access to essential health services

Mali scores 41 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Swaziland scores 56 as of 2021.

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be 29.2 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Mali, 0.8% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Swaziland, that number is 23.4% of people as of 2024.

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be 2.2 times more likely to be obese

In Mali, 13.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Swaziland, that number is 29.6% of people as of 2024.

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be 6.5 times more likely to die by suicide

Mali has a suicide rate of 4.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Swaziland, it is 27.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

make 3.4 times more money

Mali has a GDP per capita of $1,193 as of 2025, while in Swaziland, the GDP per capita is $4,108 as of 2025.

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be 12.1 times more likely to be unemployed

In Mali, 2.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Swaziland, that number is 34.2% as of 2025.

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be 17.6% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Mali, 45.5% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Swaziland, however, that number is 53.5% as of 2023.

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Life

be 67.8% 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 Swaziland, 118.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 2.5 times more likely to be literate

In Mali, the literacy rate is 35.6% as of 2024. In Swaziland, it is 90.8% as of 2022.

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be 11.2% 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 Swaziland, on the other hand, 42.2 children do as of 2024.

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have 40.2% fewer children

In Mali, there are approximately 39.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Swaziland, there are 23.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 58.5% 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 Swaziland, that number is 86% of people on average (91% in urban areas, and 85% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 72.3% more likely to have internet access

In Mali, approximately 36.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Swaziland, about 63.4% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 44.3% more on education

Mali spends 4.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Swaziland spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.

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spend 96.9% more on healthcare

Mali spends 3.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Swaziland, that number is 7.5% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 22.3% more likely to die in a road accident

In Mali, road accidents kill 20.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Swaziland, they kill 24.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 3.3 times more home broadband

Mali has 0.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Swaziland has 2.5 as of 2024.

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live with 9.7 times more strain on fresh water

Mali withdraws 8% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Swaziland withdraws 78% as of 2022.

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Environment

emit 2.9 times more CO2

Mali emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Swaziland emits 0.9 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

Swaziland: At a glance

Swaziland is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 17,204 sq km. Autonomy for the Swazis of southern Africa was guaranteed by the British in the late 19th century; independence was granted in 1968. Student and labor unrest during the 1990s pressured King MSWATI III, Africa's last absolute monarch, to grudgingly allow political reform and greater democracy, although he has backslid on these promises in recent years. A constitution came into effect in 2006, but the legal status of political parties remains unclear. The African United Democratic Party tried unsuccessfully to register as an official political party in mid 2006. Talks over the constitution broke down between the government and progressive groups in 2007. Swaziland recently surpassed Botswana as the country with the world's highest known HIV/AIDS prevalence rate.
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How big is Swaziland compared to Mali? See an in-depth size comparison.

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