If you lived in Namibia instead of Saudi Arabia, you would:

Health

be 54.5% less likely to be obese

In Saudi Arabia, 40.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Namibia, that number is 18.3% of people as of 2024.

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be 90.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Saudi Arabia, 0.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Namibia, that number is 9.0% of people as of 2024.

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live 11.5 years less

In Saudi Arabia, the average life expectancy is 79 years (77 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024. In Namibia, that number is 68 years (63 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 69.3% less spent on your healthcare

Saudi Arabia spends $3,475 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Namibia spends $1,068 as of 2023.

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have 83.8% fewer doctors per person

Saudi Arabia has 34.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Namibia has 5.5 as of 2022.

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have 14.9% less access to essential health services

Saudi Arabia scores 74 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Namibia scores 63 as of 2021.

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be 9.0 times more likely to die by suicide

Saudi Arabia has a suicide rate of 0.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Namibia, it is 8.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 6.3 times more likely to be unemployed

In Saudi Arabia, 3.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Namibia, that number is 19.3% as of 2025.

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make 85.9% less money

Saudi Arabia has a GDP per capita of $34,537 as of 2025, while in Namibia, the GDP per capita is $4,876 as of 2025.

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Life

have 56.9% more children

In Saudi Arabia, there are approximately 16.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Namibia, there are 25.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 19.9 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Saudi Arabia, approximately 7.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Namibia, 139.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 10.5% less likely to be literate

In Saudi Arabia, the literacy rate is 97.9% as of 2024. In Namibia, it is 87.6% as of 2023.

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be 7.7 times more likely to die during infancy

In Saudi Arabia, approximately 4.7 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Namibia, on the other hand, 36.4 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 43.3% less likely to have access to electricity

In Saudi Arabia, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Namibia, that number is 57% of people on average (75% in urban areas, and 34% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 35.1% less likely to have internet access

In Saudi Arabia, approximately 100.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Namibia, about 64.9% do as of 2024.

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be 12.7% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Saudi Arabia, approximately 99% of people have access to drinking water (99% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Namibia, that number is 87% of people on average (96% in urban areas, and 74% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 2.0 times more on education

Saudi Arabia spends 4.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Namibia spends 9.1% of total GDP on education as of 2024.

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spend 66.6% more on healthcare

Saudi Arabia spends 5.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Namibia, that number is 9.5% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 40.5% less coastline

Saudi Arabia has a total of 2,640 km of coastline. In Namibia, that number is 1,572 km.

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Safety

be 11.9 times more likely to be murdered

Saudi Arabia has a homicide rate of 0.9 per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Namibia, that number is 11.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 18.9% more likely to die in a road accident

In Saudi Arabia, road accidents kill 18.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Namibia, they kill 22.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

live with 100.0% less strain on fresh water

Saudi Arabia withdraws 974% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Namibia withdraws 0% as of 2022.

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find 93.6% less home broadband

Saudi Arabia has 44.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Namibia has 2.8 as of 2024.

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use 89.7% less electricity

Saudi Arabia uses 11,911 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Namibia uses 1,232 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

be 52.7% less likely to die from air pollution

In Saudi Arabia, air pollution causes 91.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Namibia, it causes 43.0 as of 2019.

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emit 93.5% less CO2

Saudi Arabia emits 18.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Namibia emits 1.2 tonnes as of 2024.

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

Namibia: At a glance

Namibia is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 823,290 sq km. South Africa occupied the German colony of South-West Africa during World War I and administered it as a mandate until after World War II, when it annexed the territory. In 1966 the Marxist South-West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) guerrilla group launched a war of independence for the area that became Namibia, but it was not until 1988 that South Africa agreed to end its administration in accordance with a UN peace plan for the entire region. Namibia has been governed by SWAPO since the country won independence in 1990. Hifikepunye POHAMBA was elected president in November 2004 in a landslide victory replacing Sam NUJOMA who led the country during its first 14 years of self rule. POHAMBA was reelected in November 2009.
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