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

Health

live 11.9 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 Cyprus, that number is 82 years (80 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 12.8 times more spent on your healthcare

Sao Tome and Principe spends $355 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Cyprus spends $4,538 as of 2023.

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have 7.7 times more doctors per person

Sao Tome and Principe has 4.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Cyprus has 35.6 as of 2022.

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have 37.3% more access to essential health services

Sao Tome and Principe scores 59 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Cyprus scores 81 as of 2021.

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be 20.3% more likely to be obese

In Sao Tome and Principe, 17.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Cyprus, that number is 21.6% of people as of 2024.

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be 3.5 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 Cyprus, it is 3.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 46.1% less likely to be unemployed

In Sao Tome and Principe, 9.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Cyprus, that number is 4.9% as of 2025.

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make 10.2 times more money

Sao Tome and Principe has a GDP per capita of $4,084 as of 2025, while in Cyprus, the GDP per capita is $41,783 as of 2025.

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Life

be 81.3% 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 Cyprus, 14.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 55.4% 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 Cyprus, on the other hand, 4.1 children do as of 2024.

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have 62.5% fewer children

In Sao Tome and Principe, there are approximately 28.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Cyprus, there are 10.5 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 Cyprus, 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 51.6% more likely to have internet access

In Sao Tome and Principe, approximately 59.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Cyprus, about 89.6% do as of 2024.

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be 27.9% 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 Cyprus, 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 40.7% more on healthcare

Sao Tome and Principe spends 5.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Cyprus, that number is 8.1% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 3.1 times more coastline

Sao Tome and Principe has a total of 209 km of coastline. In Cyprus, that number is 648 km.

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Safety

be 66.7% 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 Cyprus, they kill 3.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 12.6 times more home broadband

Sao Tome and Principe has 3.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Cyprus has 37.6 as of 2024.

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live with 16.2 times more strain on fresh water

Sao Tome and Principe withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Cyprus withdraws 30% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 81.2% 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 Cyprus, it causes 16.0 as of 2019.

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emit 8.6 times more CO2

Sao Tome and Principe emits 0.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Cyprus emits 5.4 tonnes as of 2024.

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

Cyprus: At a glance

Cyprus is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 9,241 sq km. A former British colony, Cyprus became independent in 1960 following years of resistance to British rule. Tensions between the Greek Cypriot majority and Turkish Cypriot minority came to a head in December 1963, when violence broke out in the capital of Nicosia. Despite the deployment of UN peacekeepers in 1964, sporadic intercommunal violence continued forcing most Turkish Cypriots into enclaves throughout the island. In 1974, a Greek Government-sponsored attempt to overthrow the elected president of Cyprus was met by military intervention from Turkey, which soon controlled more than a third of the island. In 1983, the Turkish Cypriot-occupied area declared itself the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" ("TRNC"), but it is recognized only by Turkey. In February 2014, after a hiatus of nearly two years, the leaders of the two communities resumed formal discussions under UN auspices aimed at reuniting the divided island. The talks are ongoing. The entire island entered the EU on 1 May 2004, although the EU acquis - the body of common rights and obligations - applies only to the areas under the internationally recognized government, and is suspended in the areas administered by Turkish Cypriots. However, individual Turkish Cypriots able to document their eligibility for Republic of Cyprus citizenship legally enjoy the same rights accorded to other citizens of European Union states.
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How big is Cyprus compared to Sao Tome and Principe? See an in-depth size comparison.

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