Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 16.9% less likely to be obese

In Sao Tome and Principe, 12.4% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Gambia, that number is 10.3% of people as of 2016.

be 6.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Sao Tome and Principe, 0.3% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Gambia, that number is 1.8% of people as of 2020.

Economy

be 27.1% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Sao Tome and Principe, 66.7% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Gambia, however, that number is 48.6% as of 2015.

make 46.3% less money

Sao Tome and Principe has a GDP per capita of $4,100 as of 2020, while in Gambia, the GDP per capita is $2,200 as of 2020.

Life

be 16.2% less likely to die during infancy

In Sao Tome and Principe, approximately 44.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Gambia, on the other hand, 37.2 children do as of 2022.

be 4.6 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Sao Tome and Principe, approximately 130.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Gambia, 597.0 women do as of 2017.

be 45.3% less likely to be literate

In Sao Tome and Principe, the literacy rate is 92.8% as of 2018. In Gambia, it is 50.8% as of 2015.

Basic Needs

be 12.1% more likely to have internet access

In Sao Tome and Principe, approximately 33.0% of the population has internet access as of 2020. In Gambia, about 37.0% do as of 2020.

be 31.0% less likely to have access to electricity

In Sao Tome and Principe, approximately 71% of people have electricity access (87% in urban areas, and 25% in rural areas) as of 2019. In Gambia, that number is 49% of people on average (69% in urban areas, and 16% in rural areas) as of 2019.

Expenditures

spend 50.8% less on education

Sao Tome and Principe spends 5.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. Gambia spends 2.9% of total GDP on education as of 2019.

spend 30.9% less on healthcare

Sao Tome and Principe spends 5.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In Gambia, that number is 3.8% of GDP as of 2019.

Geography

see 61.7% less coastline

Sao Tome and Principe has a total of 209 km of coastline. In Gambia, that number is 80 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Gambia: At a glance

Gambia is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 10,120 sq km. The Gambia gained its independence from the UK in 1965. Geographically surrounded by Senegal, it formed a short-lived federation of Senegambia between 1982 and 1989. In 1991 the two nations signed a friendship and cooperation treaty, but tensions have flared up intermittently since then. Yahya JAMMEH led a military coup in 1994 that overthrew the president and banned political activity. A new constitution and presidential elections in 1996, followed by parliamentary balloting in 1997, completed a nominal return to civilian rule. JAMMEH has been elected president in all subsequent elections including most recently in late 2011.
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How big is Gambia compared to Sao Tome and Principe? See an in-depth size comparison.

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