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

Health

live 0.8 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 Solomon Islands, that number is 71 years (69 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 21.8% more likely to be obese

In Sao Tome and Principe, 17.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Solomon Islands, that number is 21.8% of people as of 2024.

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see 56.8% less spent on your healthcare

Sao Tome and Principe spends $355 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Solomon Islands spends $153 as of 2023.

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have 48.7% fewer doctors per person

Sao Tome and Principe has 4.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Solomon Islands has 2.4 as of 2023.

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have 20.3% less access to essential health services

Sao Tome and Principe scores 59 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Solomon Islands scores 47 as of 2021.

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be 22.8 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 Solomon Islands, it is 19.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 84.3% less likely to be unemployed

In Sao Tome and Principe, 9.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Solomon Islands, that number is 1.4% as of 2025.

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make 48.9% less money

Sao Tome and Principe has a GDP per capita of $4,084 as of 2025, while in Solomon Islands, the GDP per capita is $2,086 as of 2025.

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Life

be 64.0% 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 Solomon Islands, 123.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 78.3% 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 Solomon Islands, on the other hand, 16.4 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 50.9% less likely to have internet access

In Sao Tome and Principe, approximately 59.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Solomon Islands, about 29.0% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 64.8% more on education

Sao Tome and Principe spends 5.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Solomon Islands spends 8.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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Geography

see 25.4 times more coastline

Sao Tome and Principe has a total of 209 km of coastline. In Solomon Islands, that number is 5,313 km.

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Safety

be 15.6% more likely to be murdered

Sao Tome and Principe has a homicide rate of 3.2 per 100,000 people as of 2011. In Solomon Islands, that number is 3.7 per 100,000 as of 2008.

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Infrastructure

find 96.3% less home broadband

Sao Tome and Principe has 3.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Solomon Islands has 0.1 as of 2022.

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Environment

be 32.9% 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 Solomon Islands, it causes 57.0 as of 2019.

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emit 39.7% less CO2

Sao Tome and Principe emits 0.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Solomon Islands emits 0.4 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2008–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

Solomon Islands: At a glance

Solomon Islands is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 27,986 sq km. The UK established a protectorate over the Solomon Islands in the 1890s. Some of the most bitter fighting of World War II occurred on this archipelago. Self-government was achieved in 1976 and independence two years later. Ethnic violence, government malfeasance, and endemic crime have undermined stability and civil society. In June 2003, then Prime Minister Sir Allan KEMAKEZA sought the assistance of Australia in reestablishing law and order; the following month, an Australian-led multinational force arrived to restore peace and disarm ethnic militias. The Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) has generally been effective in restoring law and order and rebuilding government institutions.
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How big is Solomon Islands compared to Sao Tome and Principe? See an in-depth size comparison.

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