If you lived in Portugal instead of Rwanda, you would:

Health

be 75.0% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Rwanda, 2.0% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Portugal, that number is 0.5% of people as of 2024.

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live 14.4 years longer

In Rwanda, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024. In Portugal, that number is 82 years (80 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 27.8 times more spent on your healthcare

Rwanda spends $177 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Portugal spends $4,928 as of 2024.

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have 65.0 times more doctors per person

Rwanda has 0.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Portugal has 58.5 as of 2022.

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have 79.6% more access to essential health services

Rwanda scores 49 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Portugal scores 88 as of 2021.

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be 3.2 times more likely to be obese

In Rwanda, 5.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Portugal, that number is 18.1% of people as of 2024.

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be 32.7% more likely to die by suicide

Rwanda has a suicide rate of 8.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Portugal, it is 11.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 45.8% less likely to be unemployed

In Rwanda, 11.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Portugal, that number is 6.2% as of 2025.

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be 40.1% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Rwanda, 27.4% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Portugal, however, that number is 16.4% as of 2021.

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make 28.5 times more money

Rwanda has a GDP per capita of $1,124 as of 2025, while in Portugal, the GDP per capita is $32,082 as of 2025.

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Life

be 93.4% less likely to die during childbirth

In Rwanda, approximately 229.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Portugal, 15.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 21.8% more likely to be literate

In Rwanda, the literacy rate is 78.8% as of 2022. In Portugal, it is 95.9% as of 2021.

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be 90.8% less likely to die during infancy

In Rwanda, approximately 29.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Portugal, on the other hand, 2.7 children do as of 2024.

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have 71.8% fewer children

In Rwanda, there are approximately 28.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Portugal, there are 7.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 56.5% more likely to have access to electricity

In Rwanda, approximately 64% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 58% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Portugal, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 2.8 times more likely to have internet access

In Rwanda, approximately 31.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Portugal, about 88.5% do as of 2024.

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be 61.7% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Rwanda, approximately 61% of people have access to drinking water (88% in urban areas, and 56% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Portugal, that number is 99% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 98% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 99.6% more on healthcare

Rwanda spends 5.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Portugal, that number is 10.2% of GDP as of 2024.

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Safety

be 80.1% less likely to be murdered

Rwanda has a homicide rate of 3.6 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Portugal, that number is 0.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.

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be 37.9% less likely to die in a road accident

In Rwanda, road accidents kill 11.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Portugal, they kill 7.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 75.4 times more home broadband

Rwanda has 0.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Portugal has 45.2 as of 2024.

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live with 39.0% less strain on fresh water

Rwanda withdraws 20% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Portugal withdraws 12% as of 2022.

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use 69.0 times more electricity

Rwanda uses 77 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Portugal uses 5,294 kWh as of 2024.

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Environment

be 83.9% less likely to die from air pollution

In Rwanda, air pollution causes 62.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Portugal, it causes 10.0 as of 2019.

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emit 20.7 times more CO2

Rwanda emits 0.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Portugal emits 3.3 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this

Portugal: At a glance

Portugal is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 91,470 sq km. Following its heyday as a global maritime power during the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal lost much of its wealth and status with the destruction of Lisbon in a 1755 earthquake, occupation during the Napoleonic Wars, and the independence of Brazil, its wealthiest colony, in 1822. A 1910 revolution deposed the monarchy; for most of the next six decades, repressive governments ran the country. In 1974, a left-wing military coup installed broad democratic reforms. The following year, Portugal granted independence to all of its African colonies. Portugal is a founding member of NATO and entered the EC (now the EU) in 1986.
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How big is Portugal compared to Rwanda? See an in-depth size comparison.

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