Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Timor-Leste instead of Portugal, you would:

Health

be 81.7% less likely to be obese

In Portugal, 20.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Timor-Leste, that number is 3.8% of people as of 2016.

View global rankings →

live 11.6 years less

In Portugal, the average life expectancy is 82 years (78 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022. In Timor-Leste, that number is 70 years (68 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2022.

View global rankings →

Economy

be 76.6% less likely to be unemployed

In Portugal, 6.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Timor-Leste, that number is 1.5% as of 2023.

View global rankings →

make 89.0% less money

Portugal has a GDP per capita of $41,700 as of 2023, while in Timor-Leste, the GDP per capita is $4,600 as of 2023.

View global rankings →

Life

be 17.0 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Portugal, approximately 12.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Timor-Leste, 204.0 women do as of 2020.

View global rankings →

be 29.0% less likely to be literate

In Portugal, the literacy rate is 95.9% as of 2021. In Timor-Leste, it is 68.1% as of 2018.

View global rankings →

be 13.5 times more likely to die during infancy

In Portugal, approximately 2.5 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Timor-Leste, on the other hand, 33.7 children do as of 2022.

View global rankings →

Basic Needs

be 52.4% less likely to have internet access

In Portugal, approximately 82.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Timor-Leste, about 39.0% do as of 2021.

View global rankings →

be 12.5% less likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Portugal, approximately 100% of people have improved drinking water access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Timor-Leste, that number is 87% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 82% in rural areas) as of 2020.

View global rankings →

Expenditures

spend 16.0% less on education

Portugal spends 5.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Timor-Leste spends 4.2% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

View global rankings →

Geography

see 60.6% less coastline

Portugal has a total of 1,793 km of coastline. In Timor-Leste, that number is 706 km.

View global rankings →

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Compare further: Portugal vs. Timor-Leste

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Timor-Leste is 9.0% more expensive than Portugal overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Portugal is about 6 times bigger than Timor-Leste.
→
Moving from Portugal to Timor-Leste · UN DESA 2020
271 people born in Portugal live in Timor-Leste.
→

Timor-Leste: At a glance

Timor-Leste is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 14,874 sq km. The Portuguese began to trade with the island of Timor in the early 16th century and colonized it in mid-century. Skirmishing with the Dutch in the region eventually resulted in an 1859 treaty in which Portugal ceded the western portion of the island. Imperial Japan occupied Portuguese Timor from 1942 to 1945, but Portugal resumed colonial authority after the Japanese defeat in World War II. East Timor declared itself independent from Portugal on 28 November 1975 and was invaded and occupied by Indonesian forces nine days later. It was incorporated into Indonesia in July 1976 as the province of Timor Timur (East Timor). An unsuccessful campaign of pacification followed over the next two decades, during which an estimated 100,000 to 250,000 individuals lost their lives. On 30 August 1999, in a UN-supervised popular referendum, an overwhelming majority of the people of Timor-Leste voted for independence from Indonesia. However, in the next three weeks, anti-independence Timorese militias - organized and supported by the Indonesian military - commenced a large-scale, scorched-earth campaign of retribution. The militias killed approximately 1,400 Timorese and forcibly pushed 300,000 people into western Timor as refugees. Most of the country's infrastructure, including homes, irrigation systems, water supply systems, and schools, and nearly 100% of the country's electrical grid were destroyed. On 20 September 1999, Australian-led peacekeeping troops deployed to the country and brought the violence to an end. On 20 May 2002, Timor-Leste was internationally recognized as an independent state. In 2006, internal tensions threatened the new nation's security when a military strike led to violence and a breakdown of law and order. At Dili's request, an Australian-led International Stabilization Force (ISF) deployed to Timor-Leste, and the UN Security Council established the UN Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT), which included an authorized police presence of over 1,600 personnel. The ISF and UNMIT restored stability, allowing for presidential and parliamentary elections in 2007 in a largely peaceful atmosphere. In February 2008, a rebel group staged an unsuccessful attack against the president and prime minister. The ringleader was killed in the attack, and most of the rebels surrendered in April 2008. Since the attack, the government has enjoyed one of its longest periods of post-independence stability, including successful 2012 elections for both the parliament and president. In late 2012, the UN Security Council voted to end its peacekeeping mission in Timor-Leste and both the ISF and UNMIT departed the country by the end of the year.
Read more

How big is Timor-Leste compared to Portugal? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Timor-Leste or Portugal. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.