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

Health

live 6.8 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 Tunisia, that number is 77 years (74 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 3.1 times more spent on your healthcare

Sao Tome and Principe spends $355 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Tunisia spends $1,113 as of 2023.

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have 2.8 times more doctors per person

Sao Tome and Principe has 4.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Tunisia has 13.2 as of 2021.

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have 13.6% more access to essential health services

Sao Tome and Principe scores 59 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Tunisia scores 67 as of 2021.

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be 45.5% more likely to be obese

In Sao Tome and Principe, 17.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Tunisia, that number is 26.1% of people as of 2024.

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be 2.1 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 Tunisia, it is 1.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

make 14.0% more money

Sao Tome and Principe has a GDP per capita of $4,084 as of 2025, while in Tunisia, the GDP per capita is $4,657 as of 2025.

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be 65.5% more likely to be unemployed

In Sao Tome and Principe, 9.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Tunisia, that number is 15.1% as of 2025.

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Life

be 52.0% 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 Tunisia, 36.0 women do as of 2023.

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have 52.4% fewer children

In Sao Tome and Principe, there are approximately 28.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Tunisia, there are 13.4 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 Tunisia, 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 29.4% more likely to have internet access

In Sao Tome and Principe, approximately 59.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Tunisia, about 76.5% do as of 2024.

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be 24.1% 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 Tunisia, that number is 97% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 93% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 33.8% more on education

Sao Tome and Principe spends 5.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Tunisia spends 6.7% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 38.5% more on healthcare

Sao Tome and Principe spends 5.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Tunisia, that number is 8.0% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 5.5 times more coastline

Sao Tome and Principe has a total of 209 km of coastline. In Tunisia, that number is 1,148 km.

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Safety

be 39.3% 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 Tunisia, they kill 16.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 5.0 times more home broadband

Sao Tome and Principe has 3.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Tunisia has 15.0 as of 2024.

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live with 52.2 times more strain on fresh water

Sao Tome and Principe withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Tunisia withdraws 98% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 35.3% 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 Tunisia, it causes 55.0 as of 2019.

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emit 4.2 times more CO2

Sao Tome and Principe emits 0.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Tunisia emits 2.6 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

Tunisia: At a glance

Tunisia is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 155,360 sq km. Rivalry between French and Italian interests in Tunisia culminated in a French invasion in 1881 and the creation of a protectorate. Agitation for independence in the decades following World War I was finally successful in getting the French to recognize Tunisia as an independent state in 1956. The country's first president, Habib BOURGUIBA, established a strict one-party state. He dominated the country for 31 years, repressing Islamic fundamentalism and establishing rights for women unmatched by any other Arab nation. In November 1987, BOURGUIBA was removed from office and replaced by Zine el Abidine BEN ALI in a bloodless coup. Street protests that began in Tunis in December 2010 over high unemployment, corruption, widespread poverty, and high food prices escalated in January 2011, culminating in rioting that led to hundreds of deaths. On 14 January 2011, the same day BEN ALI dismissed the government, he fled the country, and by late January 2011, a "national unity government" was formed. Elections for the new Constituent Assembly were held in late October 2011, and in December, it elected human rights activist Moncef MARZOUKI as interim president. The Assembly began drafting a new constitution in February 2012 and, after several iterations and a months-long political crisis that stalled the transition, ratified the document in January 2014. Presidential and parliamentary elections for a permanent government could be held by the end of 2014.
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