Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zimbabwe instead of Sao Tome and Principe, you would:
Health
be 17.9% less likely to be obese
In Sao Tome and Principe, 17.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Zimbabwe, that number is 14.7% of people as of 2024.
live 6.8 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 Zimbabwe, that number is 63 years (60 years for men, 65 years for women) as of 2024.
see 71.0% less spent on your healthcare
Sao Tome and Principe spends $355 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zimbabwe spends $103 as of 2023.
have 70.7% fewer doctors per person
Sao Tome and Principe has 4.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Zimbabwe has 1.4 as of 2023.
be 20.2 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 Zimbabwe, it is 17.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 31.0% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Sao Tome and Principe, 55.5% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Zimbabwe, however, that number is 38.3% as of 2019.
make 26.0% less money
Sao Tome and Principe has a GDP per capita of $4,084 as of 2025, while in Zimbabwe, the GDP per capita is $3,021 as of 2025.
Life
be 4.8 times 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 Zimbabwe, 358.0 women do as of 2023.
be 6.8 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 Zimbabwe, on the other hand, 62.4 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 23.7% less 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 Zimbabwe, that number is 62% of people on average (84% in urban areas, and 51% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 29.6% less likely to have internet access
In Sao Tome and Principe, approximately 59.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Zimbabwe, about 41.6% do as of 2024.
be 13.8% less 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 Zimbabwe, that number is 67% of people on average (94% in urban areas, and 54% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 92.4% less on education
Sao Tome and Principe spends 5.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Zimbabwe spends 0.4% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 49.2% less on healthcare
Sao Tome and Principe spends 5.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Zimbabwe, that number is 2.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 2.6 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 Zimbabwe, they kill 29.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 35.1% less home broadband
Sao Tome and Principe has 3.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Zimbabwe has 1.9 as of 2024.
live with 24.5 times more strain on fresh water
Sao Tome and Principe withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Zimbabwe withdraws 46% as of 2022.
Environment
be 34.1% 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 Zimbabwe, it causes 56.0 as of 2019.
emit 22.2% more CO2
Sao Tome and Principe emits 0.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Zimbabwe emits 0.8 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2017–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Sao Tome and Principe vs. Zimbabwe
MORE COMPARISONS
Zimbabwe: At a glance
How big is Zimbabwe compared to Sao Tome and Principe? See an in-depth size comparison.