If you lived in Bahrain instead of Sao Tome and Principe, you would:

Health

live 11.5 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 Bahrain, that number is 81 years (81 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 7.2 times more spent on your healthcare

Sao Tome and Principe spends $355 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Bahrain spends $2,555 as of 2023.

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have 59.7% more doctors per person

Sao Tome and Principe has 4.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Bahrain has 7.4 as of 2020.

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have 28.8% more access to essential health services

Sao Tome and Principe scores 59 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Bahrain scores 76 as of 2021.

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be 94.9% more likely to be obese

In Sao Tome and Principe, 17.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Bahrain, that number is 34.9% of people as of 2024.

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be 5.4 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 Bahrain, it is 4.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 88.0% less likely to be unemployed

In Sao Tome and Principe, 9.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Bahrain, that number is 1.1% as of 2025.

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make 7.5 times more money

Sao Tome and Principe has a GDP per capita of $4,084 as of 2025, while in Bahrain, the GDP per capita is $30,597 as of 2025.

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Life

be 77.3% 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 Bahrain, 17.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 20.7% less likely to die during infancy

In Sao Tome and Principe, approximately 9.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Bahrain, on the other hand, 7.3 children do as of 2024.

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have 57.2% fewer children

In Sao Tome and Principe, there are approximately 28.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Bahrain, there are 12.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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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 Bahrain, 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 69.1% more likely to have internet access

In Sao Tome and Principe, approximately 59.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Bahrain, about 100.0% do as of 2024.

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be 28.2% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Sao Tome and Principe, approximately 78% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Bahrain, 100% of people do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 62.4% less on education

Sao Tome and Principe spends 5.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Bahrain spends 1.9% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 30.7% less on healthcare

Sao Tome and Principe spends 5.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Bahrain, that number is 4.0% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 23.0% less coastline

Sao Tome and Principe has a total of 209 km of coastline. In Bahrain, that number is 161 km.

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Safety

be 30.8% less likely to die in a road accident

In Sao Tome and Principe, road accidents kill 11.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Bahrain, they kill 8.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 5.7 times more home broadband

Sao Tome and Principe has 3.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Bahrain has 17.0 as of 2024.

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live with 71.1 times more strain on fresh water

Sao Tome and Principe withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Bahrain withdraws 134% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 20.0% 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 Bahrain, it causes 68.0 as of 2019.

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emit 37.9 times more CO2

Sao Tome and Principe emits 0.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Bahrain emits 23.9 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. How we calculate this

Bahrain: At a glance

Bahrain is a sovereign country in Middle East, with a total land area of approximately 760 sq km. In 1783, the Sunni Al-Khalifa family took power in Bahrain. In order to secure these holdings, it entered into a series of treaties with the UK during the 19th century that made Bahrain a British protectorate. The archipelago attained its independence in 1971. Facing declining oil reserves, Bahrain has turned to petroleum processing and refining and has become an international banking center. Bahrain's small size and central location among Gulf countries require it to play a delicate balancing act in foreign affairs among its larger neighbors. The Sunni-led government has struggled to manage relations with its large Shia-majority population. In early 2011, amid Arab uprisings elsewhere in the region, the Bahraini Government confronted similar protests at home with police and military action, including deploying Gulf Cooperation Council security forces to Bahrain. Sporadic clashes between demonstrators and security forces continue in Bahrain. Ongoing dissatisfaction with the political status quo has led to a broader discussion termed the Bahrain National Dialogue, a process that convenes members of the executive, parliament, and political societies in an attempt to reach a political agreement.
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