Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Turkmenistan instead of Namibia, you would:
Health
live 2.7 years longer
In Namibia, the average life expectancy is 68 years (63 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, that number is 70 years (67 years for men, 73 years for women) as of 2024.
see 18.3% more spent on your healthcare
Namibia spends $1,068 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Turkmenistan spends $1,264 as of 2023.
have 3.5 times more doctors per person
Namibia has 5.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Turkmenistan has 19.3 as of 2023.
have 19.0% more access to essential health services
Namibia scores 63 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Turkmenistan scores 75 as of 2021.
be 20.5% less likely to die by suicide
Namibia has a suicide rate of 8.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Turkmenistan, it is 6.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 21.7% more likely to be obese
In Namibia, 18.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, that number is 22.2% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 77.9% less likely to be unemployed
In Namibia, 19.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Turkmenistan, that number is 4.3% as of 2025.
be 98.9% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Namibia, 17.4% live below the poverty line as of 2015. In Turkmenistan, however, that number is 0.2% as of 2012.
make 34.1% more money
Namibia has a GDP per capita of $4,876 as of 2025, while in Turkmenistan, the GDP per capita is $6,540 as of 2025.
Life
be 96.4% less likely to die during childbirth
In Namibia, approximately 139.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Turkmenistan, 5.0 women do as of 2023.
be 14.0% more likely to be literate
In Namibia, the literacy rate is 87.6% as of 2023. In Turkmenistan, it is 99.9% as of 2022.
be 16.5% less likely to die during infancy
In Namibia, approximately 36.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, on the other hand, 30.4 children do as of 2024.
have 19.2% fewer children
In Namibia, there are approximately 25.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 76.4% more likely to have access to electricity
In Namibia, approximately 57% of people have electricity access (75% in urban areas, and 34% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Turkmenistan, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 15.5% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Namibia, approximately 87% of people have access to drinking water (96% in urban areas, and 74% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024.
be 61.0% less likely to have internet access
In Namibia, approximately 64.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, about 25.3% do as of 2022.
Expenditures
spend 52.8% less on education
Namibia spends 9.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Turkmenistan spends 4.3% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 42.0% less on healthcare
Namibia spends 9.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Turkmenistan, that number is 5.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 63.6% less likely to die in a road accident
In Namibia, road accidents kill 22.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Turkmenistan, they kill 8.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 84.5% more home broadband
Namibia has 2.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Turkmenistan has 5.2 as of 2022.
use 2.3 times more electricity
Namibia uses 1,232 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Turkmenistan uses 2,778 kWh as of 2023.
live with 436.2 times more strain on fresh water
Namibia withdraws 0% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Turkmenistan withdraws 135% as of 2022.
Environment
be 2.0 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Namibia, air pollution causes 43.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Turkmenistan, it causes 87.0 as of 2019.
emit 9.1 times more CO2
Namibia emits 1.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Turkmenistan emits 10.9 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2012–2022). How we calculate this
Compare further: Namibia vs. Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan: At a glance
How big is Turkmenistan compared to Namibia? See an in-depth size comparison.