Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Albania instead of Sao Tome and Principe, you would:
Health
live 9.9 years longer
In Sao Tome and Principe, the average life expectancy is 70 years (66 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024. In Albania, that number is 80 years (78 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2024.
see 4.1 times more spent on your healthcare
Sao Tome and Principe spends $355 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Albania spends $1,465 as of 2023.
have 4.0 times more doctors per person
Sao Tome and Principe has 4.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Albania has 18.8 as of 2020.
be 34.7% more likely to be obese
In Sao Tome and Principe, 17.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Albania, that number is 24.1% of people as of 2024.
be 3.2 times more likely to die by suicide
Sao Tome and Principe has a suicide rate of 0.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Albania, it is 2.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 3.2 times more money
Sao Tome and Principe has a GDP per capita of $4,084 as of 2025, while in Albania, the GDP per capita is $12,998 as of 2025.
be 19.7% more likely to be unemployed
In Sao Tome and Principe, 9.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Albania, that number is 10.9% as of 2025.
Life
be 90.7% less likely to die during childbirth
In Sao Tome and Principe, approximately 75.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Albania, 7.0 women do as of 2023.
have 63.9% fewer children
In Sao Tome and Principe, there are approximately 28.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Albania, there are 10.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 23.0% more likely to have access to electricity
In Sao Tome and Principe, approximately 81% of people have electricity access (82% in urban areas, and 70% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Albania, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 45.2% more likely to have internet access
In Sao Tome and Principe, approximately 59.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Albania, about 85.9% do as of 2024.
be 22.0% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Sao Tome and Principe, approximately 78% of people have access to drinking water (79% in urban areas, and 73% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Albania, that number is 95% of people on average (96% in urban areas, and 94% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 38.6% less on education
Sao Tome and Principe spends 5.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Albania spends 3.1% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 22.2% more on healthcare
Sao Tome and Principe spends 5.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Albania, that number is 7.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 73.2% more coastline
Sao Tome and Principe has a total of 209 km of coastline. In Albania, that number is 362 km.
Infrastructure
find 8.3 times more home broadband
Sao Tome and Principe has 3.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Albania has 24.9 as of 2024.
live with 2.5 times more strain on fresh water
Sao Tome and Principe withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Albania withdraws 5% as of 2022.
Environment
be 30.6% less likely to die from air pollution
In Sao Tome and Principe, air pollution causes 85.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Albania, it causes 59.0 as of 2019.
emit 2.8 times more CO2
Sao Tome and Principe emits 0.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Albania emits 1.8 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators (2019). How we calculate this
Compare further: Sao Tome and Principe vs. Albania
MORE COMPARISONS
Albania: At a glance
How big is Albania compared to Sao Tome and Principe? See an in-depth size comparison.