Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Sao Tome and Principe instead of North Korea, you would:
Health
be 90.8% less likely to die by suicide
North Korea has a suicide rate of 9.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Sao Tome and Principe, it is 0.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 3.8 years less
In North Korea, the average life expectancy is 74 years (72 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 70 years (66 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.
be 50.0% more likely to be obese
In North Korea, 11.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 17.9% of people as of 2024.
have 13.2% less access to essential health services
North Korea scores 68 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Sao Tome and Principe scores 59 as of 2021.
Economy
be 2.6 times more likely to be unemployed
In North Korea, 3.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 9.1% as of 2025.
Life
be 30.8% less likely to die during infancy
In North Korea, approximately 13.3 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, on the other hand, 9.2 children do as of 2024.
have 2.2 times more children
In North Korea, there are approximately 12.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, there are 28.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 41.4% more likely to have access to electricity
In North Korea, approximately 58% of people have electricity access (36% in urban areas, and 11% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 81% of people on average (82% in urban areas, and 70% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 17.0% less likely to have access to drinking water
In North Korea, approximately 94% of people have access to drinking water (97% in urban areas, and 89% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 78% of people on average (79% in urban areas, and 73% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Geography
see 91.6% less coastline
North Korea has a total of 2,495 km of coastline. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 209 km.
Infrastructure
live with 93.2% less strain on fresh water
North Korea withdraws 28% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Sao Tome and Principe withdraws 2% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 74.8% less CO2
North Korea emits 2.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Sao Tome and Principe emits 0.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: North Korea vs. Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: At a glance
How big is Sao Tome and Principe compared to North Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.