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

Health

live 2.5 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 Kyrgyzstan, that number is 72 years (68 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2024.

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have 3.4 times more doctors per person

Sao Tome and Principe has 4.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Kyrgyzstan has 15.7 as of 2023.

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have 16.9% more access to essential health services

Sao Tome and Principe scores 59 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Kyrgyzstan scores 69 as of 2021.

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be 22.9% more likely to be obese

In Sao Tome and Principe, 17.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Kyrgyzstan, that number is 22.0% of people as of 2024.

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be 7.9 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 Kyrgyzstan, it is 6.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 61.3% less likely to be unemployed

In Sao Tome and Principe, 9.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Kyrgyzstan, that number is 3.5% as of 2025.

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make 24.6% less money

Sao Tome and Principe has a GDP per capita of $4,084 as of 2025, while in Kyrgyzstan, the GDP per capita is $3,081 as of 2025.

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Life

be 44.0% 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 Kyrgyzstan, 42.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 60.9% 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 Kyrgyzstan, on the other hand, 14.8 children do as of 2024.

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have 30.9% fewer children

In Sao Tome and Principe, there are approximately 28.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Kyrgyzstan, there are 19.4 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 Kyrgyzstan, 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 55.7% more likely to have internet access

In Sao Tome and Principe, approximately 59.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Kyrgyzstan, about 92.0% do as of 2024.

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be 21.8% 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 Kyrgyzstan, that number is 95% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 92% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 22.0% less on healthcare

Sao Tome and Principe spends 5.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Kyrgyzstan, that number is 4.5% of GDP as of 2023.

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spend 35.8% more on education

Sao Tome and Principe spends 5.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Kyrgyzstan spends 6.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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Safety

be 13.7% 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 Kyrgyzstan, they kill 13.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 2.6 times more home broadband

Sao Tome and Principe has 3.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Kyrgyzstan has 7.8 as of 2024.

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live with 26.6 times more strain on fresh water

Sao Tome and Principe withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Kyrgyzstan withdraws 50% as of 2022.

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Environment

emit 2.4 times more CO2

Sao Tome and Principe emits 0.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Kyrgyzstan emits 1.5 tonnes as of 2024.

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

Kyrgyzstan: At a glance

Kyrgyzstan is a sovereign country in Central Asia, with a total land area of approximately 191,801 sq km. A Central Asian country of incredible natural beauty and proud nomadic traditions, most of Kyrgyzstan was formally annexed to Russia in 1876. The Kyrgyz staged a major revolt against the Tsarist Empire in 1916 in which almost one-sixth of the Kyrgyz population was killed. Kyrgyzstan became a Soviet republic in 1936 and achieved independence in 1991 when the USSR dissolved. Nationwide demonstrations in the spring of 2005 resulted in the ouster of President Askar AKAEV, who had run the country since 1990. Former prime minister Kurmanbek BAKIEV overwhelmingly won the presidential election in the summer of 2005. Over the next few years, he manipulated the parliament to accrue new powers for the presidency. In July 2009, after months of harassment against his opponents and media critics, BAKIEV won re-election in a presidential campaign that the international community deemed flawed. In April 2010, violent protests in Bishkek led to the collapse of the BAKIEV regime and his eventual fleeing to Minsk, Belarus. His successor, Roza OTUNBAEVA, served as transitional president until Almazbek ATAMBAEV was inaugurated in December 2011, marking the first peaceful transfer of presidential power in independent Kyrgyzstan's history. Continuing concerns include: the trajectory of democratization, endemic corruption, poor interethnic relations, and terrorism.
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