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

Health

be 33.9% less likely to be obese

In Nicaragua, 34.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Tajikistan, that number is 23.1% of people as of 2024.

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be 42.7% less likely to die by suicide

Nicaragua has a suicide rate of 4.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Tajikistan, it is 2.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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live 3.2 years less

In Nicaragua, the average life expectancy is 75 years (72 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2024. In Tajikistan, that number is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 47.1% less spent on your healthcare

Nicaragua spends $689 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Tajikistan spends $364 as of 2023.

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Economy

be 37.5% more likely to be unemployed

In Nicaragua, 5.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Tajikistan, that number is 6.9% as of 2025.

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make 48.4% less money

Nicaragua has a GDP per capita of $3,173 as of 2025, while in Tajikistan, the GDP per capita is $1,637 as of 2025.

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Life

be 76.7% less 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 Tajikistan, 14.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 20.8% more likely to be literate

In Nicaragua, the literacy rate is 82.6% as of 2015. In Tajikistan, it is 99.8% as of 2015.

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have 32.3% more children

In Nicaragua, there are approximately 19.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Tajikistan, there are 25.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 2.5 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 Tajikistan, on the other hand, 23.5 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 13.3% more 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 Tajikistan, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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Expenditures

spend 10.4% less on healthcare

Nicaragua spends 8.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Tajikistan, that number is 7.4% of GDP as of 2023.

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spend 89.5% more on education

Nicaragua spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Tajikistan spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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Safety

be 92.2% less likely to be murdered

Nicaragua has a homicide rate of 11.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Tajikistan, that number is 0.9 per 100,000 as of 2020.

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Infrastructure

use 2.3 times more electricity

Nicaragua uses 641 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Tajikistan uses 1,497 kWh as of 2023.

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find 83.0% less home broadband

Nicaragua has 5.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Tajikistan has 1.0 as of 2023.

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live with 31.5 times more strain on fresh water

Nicaragua withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Tajikistan withdraws 70% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 4.2 times more likely to die from air pollution

In Nicaragua, air pollution causes 38.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Tajikistan, it causes 159.0 as of 2019.

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emit 10.8% more CO2

Nicaragua emits 0.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Tajikistan emits 0.9 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2015), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019). How we calculate this

Tajikistan: At a glance

Tajikistan is a sovereign country in Central Asia, with a total land area of approximately 141,510 sq km. The Tajik people came under Russian rule in the 1860s and 1870s, but Russia's hold on Central Asia weakened following the Revolution of 1917. Bands of indigenous guerrillas (called "basmachi") fiercely contested Bolshevik control of the area, which was not fully reestablished until 1925. Tajikistan was first created as an autonomous republic within Uzbekistan in 1924, but the USSR designated Tajikistan a separate republic in 1929 and transferred to it much of present-day Sughd province. Ethnic Uzbeks form a substantial minority in Tajikistan. Tajikistan became independent in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union, and experienced a civil war between regional factions from 1992 to 1997. Tajikistan endured several domestic security incidents during 2010-12, including armed conflict between government forces and local strongmen in the Rasht Valley and between government forces and criminal groups in Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast. The country remains the poorest in the former Soviet sphere. Tajikistan became a member of the World Trade Organization in March 2013. However, its economy continues to face major challenges, including dependence on remittances from Tajikistanis working in Russia, pervasive corruption, and the major role narcotrafficking plays in the country's informal economy.
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