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

Health

live 10.1 years less

In Puerto Rico, the average life expectancy is 82 years (78 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024. In Samoa, that number is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 51.6% more likely to be obese

In Puerto Rico, 42.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Samoa, that number is 64.3% of people as of 2024.

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be 2.2 times more likely to die by suicide

Puerto Rico has a suicide rate of 5.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Samoa, it is 12.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 16.5% less likely to be unemployed

In Puerto Rico, 6.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Samoa, that number is 5.0% as of 2025.

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make 85.5% less money

Puerto Rico has a GDP per capita of $40,620 as of 2025, while in Samoa, the GDP per capita is $5,873 as of 2025.

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Life

have 4.4 times more children

In Puerto Rico, there are approximately 5.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Samoa, there are 25.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 9.2 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 Samoa, 101.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 2.0 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 Samoa, on the other hand, 12.3 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 13.7% less likely to have internet access

In Puerto Rico, approximately 87.3% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Samoa, about 75.3% do as of 2022.

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Expenditures

spend 27.9% more on education

Puerto Rico spends 4.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Samoa spends 5.5% of total GDP on education as of 2024.

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Geography

see 19.6% less coastline

Puerto Rico has a total of 501 km of coastline. In Samoa, that number is 403 km.

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Safety

be 23.2% less likely to die in a road accident

In Puerto Rico, road accidents kill 12.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Samoa, they kill 9.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 96.9% less home broadband

Puerto Rico has 28.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Samoa has 0.9 as of 2022.

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Environment

emit 66.8% less CO2

Puerto Rico emits 4.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Samoa emits 1.6 tonnes as of 2024.

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

Samoa: At a glance

Samoa is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 2,821 sq km. New Zealand occupied the German protectorate of Western Samoa at the outbreak of World War I in 1914. It continued to administer the islands as a mandate and then as a trust territory until 1962, when the islands became the first Polynesian nation to reestablish independence in the 20th century. The country dropped the "Western" from its name in 1997.
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How big is Samoa compared to Puerto Rico? See an in-depth size comparison.

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