Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Sao Tome and Principe, you would:
Health
see 3.8 times more spent on your healthcare
Sao Tome and Principe spends $355 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
have 71.1% more doctors per person
Sao Tome and Principe has 4.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
have 20.3% more access to essential health services
Sao Tome and Principe scores 59 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Africa scores 71 as of 2021.
live 3.6 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 South Africa, that number is 66 years (63 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024.
be 77.3% more likely to be obese
In Sao Tome and Principe, 17.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
be 25.9 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 South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 61.5% more money
Sao Tome and Principe has a GDP per capita of $4,084 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
be 3.5 times more likely to be unemployed
In Sao Tome and Principe, 9.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
Life
be 57.3% 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 South Africa, 118.0 women do as of 2023.
be 2.6 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 South Africa, on the other hand, 24.2 children do as of 2024.
have 34.2% fewer children
In Sao Tome and Principe, there are approximately 28.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Africa, there are 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 32.5% more likely to have internet access
In Sao Tome and Principe, approximately 59.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Africa, about 78.4% do as of 2024.
be 15.7% 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 South Africa, that number is 90% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 73% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 19.7% more on education
Sao Tome and Principe spends 5.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. South Africa spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 54.4% more on healthcare
Sao Tome and Principe spends 5.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 8.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 13.4 times more coastline
Sao Tome and Principe has a total of 209 km of coastline. In South Africa, that number is 2,798 km.
Safety
be 2.1 times 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 South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 78.9% more home broadband
Sao Tome and Principe has 3.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
live with 36.0 times more strain on fresh water
Sao Tome and Principe withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
Environment
be 44.7% 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 South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
emit 10.9 times more CO2
Sao Tome and Principe emits 0.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. South Africa emits 6.9 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Sao Tome and Principe vs. South Africa
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South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Sao Tome and Principe? See an in-depth size comparison.