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

Health

live 4.5 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 Belarus, that number is 74 years (70 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 6.2 times more spent on your healthcare

Sao Tome and Principe spends $355 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Belarus spends $2,194 as of 2023.

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have 10.2 times more doctors per person

Sao Tome and Principe has 4.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Belarus has 47.2 as of 2023.

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have 33.9% more access to essential health services

Sao Tome and Principe scores 59 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Belarus scores 79 as of 2021.

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be 15.2% more likely to be obese

In Sao Tome and Principe, 17.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Belarus, that number is 20.6% of people as of 2024.

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be 18.2 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 Belarus, it is 15.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 63.0% less likely to be unemployed

In Sao Tome and Principe, 9.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Belarus, that number is 3.4% as of 2025.

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make 2.5 times more money

Sao Tome and Principe has a GDP per capita of $4,084 as of 2025, while in Belarus, the GDP per capita is $10,279 as of 2025.

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Life

be 98.7% 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 Belarus, 1.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 80.4% 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 Belarus, on the other hand, 1.8 children do as of 2024.

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have 75.0% fewer children

In Sao Tome and Principe, there are approximately 28.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Belarus, there are 7.0 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 Belarus, 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 59.4% more likely to have internet access

In Sao Tome and Principe, approximately 59.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Belarus, about 94.3% do as of 2024.

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be 28.1% 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 Belarus, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 22.7% more on healthcare

Sao Tome and Principe spends 5.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Belarus, that number is 7.1% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 36.8% 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 Belarus, they kill 7.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 12.1 times more home broadband

Sao Tome and Principe has 3.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Belarus has 36.3 as of 2024.

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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. Belarus withdraws 5% 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 Belarus, it causes 68.0 as of 2019.

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emit 9.4 times more CO2

Sao Tome and Principe emits 0.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Belarus emits 5.9 tonnes as of 2024.

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

Belarus: At a glance

Belarus is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 202,900 sq km. After seven decades as a constituent republic of the USSR, Belarus attained its independence in 1991. It has retained closer political and economic ties to Russia than have any of the other former Soviet republics. Belarus and Russia signed a treaty on a two-state union on 8 December 1999 envisioning greater political and economic integration. Although Belarus agreed to a framework to carry out the accord, serious implementation has yet to take place. Since his election in July 1994 as the country's first directly elected president, Aleksandr LUKASHENKO has steadily consolidated his power through authoritarian means and a centralized economic system. Government restrictions on freedom of speech and the press, peaceful assembly, and religion remain in place.
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