Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Saint Lucia instead of Sao Tome and Principe, you would:
Health
live 2.9 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 Saint Lucia, that number is 73 years (69 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2024.
see 3.5 times more spent on your healthcare
Sao Tome and Principe spends $355 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Saint Lucia spends $1,228 as of 2023.
have 9.1 times more doctors per person
Sao Tome and Principe has 4.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Saint Lucia has 42.3 as of 2020.
have 30.5% more access to essential health services
Sao Tome and Principe scores 59 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Saint Lucia scores 77 as of 2021.
be 94.1% more likely to be obese
In Sao Tome and Principe, 17.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Saint Lucia, that number is 34.8% of people as of 2024.
be 6.1 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 Saint Lucia, it is 5.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 55.0% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Sao Tome and Principe, 55.5% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Saint Lucia, however, that number is 25.0% as of 2016.
make 3.6 times more money
Sao Tome and Principe has a GDP per capita of $4,084 as of 2025, while in Saint Lucia, the GDP per capita is $14,746 as of 2025.
Life
be 41.3% 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 Saint Lucia, 44.0 women do as of 2023.
be 71.7% 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 Saint Lucia, on the other hand, 15.8 children do as of 2024.
have 60.1% fewer children
In Sao Tome and Principe, there are approximately 28.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Saint Lucia, there are 11.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
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 Saint Lucia, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 15.4% more likely to have internet access
In Sao Tome and Principe, approximately 59.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Saint Lucia, about 68.2% do as of 2024.
be 25.8% 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 Saint Lucia, that number is 98% of people on average (97% in urban areas, and 98% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 23.5% less on education
Sao Tome and Principe spends 5.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Saint Lucia spends 3.9% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 18.0% less on healthcare
Sao Tome and Principe spends 5.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Saint Lucia, that number is 4.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 24.4% less coastline
Sao Tome and Principe has a total of 209 km of coastline. In Saint Lucia, that number is 158 km.
Safety
be 23.9% 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 Saint Lucia, they kill 8.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 4.5 times more home broadband
Sao Tome and Principe has 3.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Saint Lucia has 13.6 as of 2022.
live with 7.6 times more strain on fresh water
Sao Tome and Principe withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Saint Lucia withdraws 14% as of 2022.
Environment
be 76.5% 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 Saint Lucia, it causes 20.0 as of 2019.
emit 2.7 times more CO2
Sao Tome and Principe emits 0.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Saint Lucia emits 1.7 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2017–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2016), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Sao Tome and Principe vs. Saint Lucia
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Saint Lucia: At a glance
How big is Saint Lucia compared to Sao Tome and Principe? See an in-depth size comparison.