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

Health

be 45.6% less likely to be obese

In Puerto Rico, 42.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Tajikistan, that number is 23.1% of people as of 2024.

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be 55.2% less likely to die by suicide

Puerto Rico has a suicide rate of 5.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Tajikistan, it is 2.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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live 10.0 years less

In Puerto Rico, the average life expectancy is 82 years (78 years for men, 85 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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Economy

be 15.7% more likely to be unemployed

In Puerto Rico, 6.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Tajikistan, that number is 6.9% as of 2025.

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make 96.0% less money

Puerto Rico has a GDP per capita of $40,620 as of 2025, while in Tajikistan, the GDP per capita is $1,637 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 Tajikistan, there are 25.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 27.3% 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 Tajikistan, 14.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 3.9 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 Tajikistan, on the other hand, 23.5 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 36.1% less likely to have internet access

In Puerto Rico, approximately 87.3% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Tajikistan, about 55.8% do as of 2024.

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be 10.8% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Puerto Rico, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Tajikistan, 89% of people do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 27.4% more on education

Puerto Rico spends 4.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Tajikistan spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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Safety

be 93.9% less likely to be murdered

Puerto Rico has a homicide rate of 14.6 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Tajikistan, that number is 0.9 per 100,000 as of 2020.

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be 11.2% more likely to die in a road accident

In Puerto Rico, road accidents kill 12.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Tajikistan, they kill 13.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 96.5% less home broadband

Puerto Rico has 28.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Tajikistan has 1.0 as of 2023.

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live with 3.6 times more strain on fresh water

Puerto Rico withdraws 20% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Tajikistan withdraws 70% as of 2022.

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Environment

emit 80.9% less CO2

Puerto Rico emits 4.8 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), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), The World Factbook (2022). 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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How big is Tajikistan compared to Puerto Rico? See an in-depth size comparison.

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