If you lived in Namibia instead of Nicaragua, you would:

Health

be 47.7% less likely to be obese

In Nicaragua, 34.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Namibia, that number is 18.3% of people as of 2024.

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see 55.1% more spent on your healthcare

Nicaragua spends $689 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Namibia spends $1,068 as of 2023.

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live 7.6 years less

In Nicaragua, the average life expectancy is 75 years (72 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2024. In Namibia, that number is 68 years (63 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.

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have 10.0% less access to essential health services

Nicaragua scores 70 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Namibia scores 63 as of 2021.

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be 2.0 times more likely to die by suicide

Nicaragua has a suicide rate of 4.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Namibia, it is 8.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 30.1% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Nicaragua, 24.9% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Namibia, however, that number is 17.4% as of 2015.

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make 53.7% more money

Nicaragua has a GDP per capita of $3,173 as of 2025, while in Namibia, the GDP per capita is $4,876 as of 2025.

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be 3.8 times more likely to be unemployed

In Nicaragua, 5.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Namibia, that number is 19.3% as of 2025.

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Life

have 35.3% more children

In Nicaragua, there are approximately 19.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Namibia, there are 25.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 2.3 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Nicaragua, approximately 60.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Namibia, 139.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 3.9 times more likely to die during infancy

In Nicaragua, approximately 9.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Namibia, on the other hand, 36.4 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 35.8% less likely to have access to electricity

In Nicaragua, approximately 88% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 71% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Namibia, that number is 57% of people on average (75% in urban areas, and 34% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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Expenditures

spend 3.2 times more on education

Nicaragua spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Namibia spends 9.1% of total GDP on education as of 2024.

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spend 14.2% more on healthcare

Nicaragua spends 8.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Namibia, that number is 9.5% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 72.7% more coastline

Nicaragua has a total of 910 km of coastline. In Namibia, that number is 1,572 km.

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Safety

be 61.8% more likely to die in a road accident

In Nicaragua, road accidents kill 13.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Namibia, they kill 22.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

live with 86.0% less strain on fresh water

Nicaragua withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Namibia withdraws 0% as of 2022.

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use 92.4% more electricity

Nicaragua uses 641 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Namibia uses 1,232 kWh as of 2023.

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find 51.0% less home broadband

Nicaragua has 5.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Namibia has 2.8 as of 2024.

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Environment

be 13.2% more likely to die from air pollution

In Nicaragua, air pollution causes 38.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Namibia, it causes 43.0 as of 2019.

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emit 44.6% more CO2

Nicaragua emits 0.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Namibia emits 1.2 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

Namibia: At a glance

Namibia is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 823,290 sq km. South Africa occupied the German colony of South-West Africa during World War I and administered it as a mandate until after World War II, when it annexed the territory. In 1966 the Marxist South-West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) guerrilla group launched a war of independence for the area that became Namibia, but it was not until 1988 that South Africa agreed to end its administration in accordance with a UN peace plan for the entire region. Namibia has been governed by SWAPO since the country won independence in 1990. Hifikepunye POHAMBA was elected president in November 2004 in a landslide victory replacing Sam NUJOMA who led the country during its first 14 years of self rule. POHAMBA was reelected in November 2009.
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