Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Gambia instead of Sao Tome and Principe, you would:
Health
be 30.9% less likely to be obese
In Sao Tome and Principe, 17.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Gambia, that number is 12.4% of people as of 2024.
live 3.8 years less
In Sao Tome and Principe, the average life expectancy is 70 years (66 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024. In Gambia, that number is 66 years (64 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024.
see 73.5% less spent on your healthcare
Sao Tome and Principe spends $355 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Gambia spends $94 as of 2023.
have 80.6% fewer doctors per person
Sao Tome and Principe has 4.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Gambia has 0.9 as of 2023.
have 22.0% less access to essential health services
Sao Tome and Principe scores 59 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Gambia scores 46 as of 2021.
be 5.6 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 Gambia, it is 4.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 28.6% less likely to be unemployed
In Sao Tome and Principe, 9.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Gambia, that number is 6.5% as of 2025.
make 77.5% less money
Sao Tome and Principe has a GDP per capita of $4,084 as of 2025, while in Gambia, the GDP per capita is $919 as of 2025.
Life
be 4.7 times more 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 Gambia, 354.0 women do as of 2023.
be 45.5% less likely to be literate
In Sao Tome and Principe, the literacy rate is 94.8% as of 2021. In Gambia, it is 51.6% as of 2021.
be 3.6 times more 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 Gambia, on the other hand, 32.7 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 11.7% 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 Gambia, that number is 87% of people on average (92% in urban areas, and 78% in rural areas) as of 2024.
be 17.7% less 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 Gambia, that number is 67% of people on average (85% in urban areas, and 35% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 16.3% less likely to have internet access
In Sao Tome and Principe, approximately 59.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Gambia, about 49.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 44.1% less on education
Sao Tome and Principe spends 5.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Gambia spends 2.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 49.9% less on healthcare
Sao Tome and Principe spends 5.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Gambia, that number is 2.9% of GDP as of 2023.
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.
Safety
be 88.0% more 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 Gambia, they kill 22.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 82.6% less home broadband
Sao Tome and Principe has 3.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Gambia has 0.5 as of 2024.
live with 17.6% more strain on fresh water
Sao Tome and Principe withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Gambia withdraws 2% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 71.4% less CO2
Sao Tome and Principe emits 0.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Gambia emits 0.2 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), The World Factbook (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Sao Tome and Principe vs. Gambia
MORE COMPARISONS
Gambia: At a glance
How big is Gambia compared to Sao Tome and Principe? See an in-depth size comparison.