Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Samoa instead of Marshall Islands, you would:
Health
live 4.8 years longer
In Marshall Islands, the average life expectancy is 67 years (65 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024. In Samoa, that number is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.
be 53.2% more likely to be obese
In Marshall Islands, 42.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Samoa, that number is 64.3% of people as of 2024.
see 45.7% less spent on your healthcare
Marshall Islands spends $874 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Samoa spends $475 as of 2023.
Economy
be 3.0 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Marshall Islands, 7.2% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In Samoa, however, that number is 21.9% as of 2018.
make 30.8% less money
Marshall Islands has a GDP per capita of $8,489 as of 2025, while in Samoa, the GDP per capita is $5,873 as of 2025.
Life
be 34.8% less likely to die during childbirth
In Marshall Islands, approximately 155.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Samoa, 101.0 women do as of 2023.
be 45.8% less likely to die during infancy
In Marshall Islands, approximately 22.7 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Samoa, on the other hand, 12.3 children do as of 2024.
have 24.3% more children
In Marshall Islands, there are approximately 20.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Samoa, there are 25.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 14.2% more likely to have internet access
In Marshall Islands, approximately 65.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Samoa, about 75.3% do as of 2022.
be 13.7% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Marshall Islands, approximately 87% of people have access to drinking water (86% in urban areas, and 94% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Samoa, that number is 99% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 99% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 29.1% less on education
Marshall Islands spends 7.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Samoa spends 5.5% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 49.4% less on healthcare
Marshall Islands spends 13.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Samoa, that number is 6.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 19.3% less likely to die in a road accident
In Marshall Islands, road accidents kill 11.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Samoa, they kill 9.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 62.6% less home broadband
Marshall Islands has 2.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Samoa has 0.9 as of 2022.
Sources: World Bank (2018–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021–2022), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Marshall Islands vs. Samoa
Samoa: At a glance
How big is Samoa compared to Marshall Islands? See an in-depth size comparison.