If you lived in Nepal instead of Puerto Rico, you would:

Health

be 81.2% less likely to be obese

In Puerto Rico, 42.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Nepal, that number is 8.0% of people as of 2024.

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live 11.3 years less

In Puerto Rico, the average life expectancy is 82 years (78 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024. In Nepal, that number is 71 years (69 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 87.1% more likely to die by suicide

Puerto Rico has a suicide rate of 5.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Nepal, it is 10.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 74.6% more likely to be unemployed

In Puerto Rico, 6.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Nepal, that number is 10.5% as of 2025.

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make 96.2% less money

Puerto Rico has a GDP per capita of $40,620 as of 2025, while in Nepal, the GDP per capita is $1,536 as of 2025.

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Life

have 3.3 times more children

In Puerto Rico, there are approximately 5.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Nepal, there are 19.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 12.9 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Puerto Rico, approximately 11.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Nepal, 142.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 22.9% less likely to be literate

In Puerto Rico, the literacy rate is 92.4% as of 2021. In Nepal, it is 71.2% as of 2021.

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be 3.7 times more likely to die during infancy

In Puerto Rico, approximately 6.0 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Nepal, on the other hand, 22.2 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 46.9% less likely to have internet access

In Puerto Rico, approximately 87.3% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Nepal, about 46.3% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 13.6% less on education

Puerto Rico spends 4.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Nepal spends 3.7% of total GDP on education as of 2024.

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Safety

be 85.4% less likely to be murdered

Puerto Rico has a homicide rate of 14.6 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Nepal, that number is 2.1 per 100,000 as of 2020.

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be 2.3 times more likely to die in a road accident

In Puerto Rico, road accidents kill 12.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Nepal, they kill 28.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

live with 57.5% less strain on fresh water

Puerto Rico withdraws 20% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Nepal withdraws 8% as of 2022.

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find 64.0% less home broadband

Puerto Rico has 28.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Nepal has 10.1 as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 88.8% less CO2

Puerto Rico emits 4.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Nepal emits 0.5 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), The World Factbook (2021–2022), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this

Nepal: At a glance

Nepal is a sovereign country in South Asia, with a total land area of approximately 143,351 sq km. In 1951, the Nepali monarch ended the century-old system of rule by hereditary premiers and instituted a cabinet system of government. Reforms in 1990 established a multiparty democracy within the framework of a constitutional monarchy. An insurgency led by Maoists broke out in 1996. The ensuing 10-year civil war between Maoist and government forces witnessed the dissolution of the cabinet and parliament and assumption of absolute power by the king in 2002. Several weeks of mass protests in April 2006 were followed by several months of peace negotiations between the Maoists and government officials, and culminated in a late 2006 peace accord and the promulgation of an interim constitution. Following a nationwide election in April 2008, the newly formed Constituent Assembly (CA) declared Nepal a federal democratic republic and abolished the monarchy at its first meeting the following month. The CA elected the country's first president in July. Between 2008 and 2011 there were four different coalition governments, led twice by the United Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist, which received a plurality of votes in the 2008 CA election, and twice by the Communist Party of Nepal-United Marxist-Leninist (UML). After the CA failed to draft a constitution by the May 2012 deadline set by the Supreme Court, then Prime Minister Baburam BHATTARAI dissolved the CA. Months of negotiations ensued until March 2013 when the major political parties agreed to create an interim government headed by then Chief Justice Khil Raj REGMI with a mandate to hold elections for a new CA. Elections were held in November 2013, in which and the Nepali Congress won the largest share of the seats in the CA and in February 2014 formed a coalition government with the second place UML and with Nepali Congress President Sushil KOIRALA as prime minister
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