Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Turkmenistan instead of Saudi Arabia, you would:
Health
be 44.6% less likely to be obese
In Saudi Arabia, 40.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, that number is 22.2% of people as of 2024.
live 8.8 years less
In Saudi Arabia, the average life expectancy is 79 years (77 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, that number is 70 years (67 years for men, 73 years for women) as of 2024.
see 63.6% less spent on your healthcare
Saudi Arabia spends $3,475 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Turkmenistan spends $1,264 as of 2023.
have 43.3% fewer doctors per person
Saudi Arabia has 34.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Turkmenistan has 19.3 as of 2023.
be 7.2 times more likely to die by suicide
Saudi Arabia has a suicide rate of 0.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Turkmenistan, it is 6.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 40.5% more likely to be unemployed
In Saudi Arabia, 3.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Turkmenistan, that number is 4.3% as of 2025.
make 81.1% less money
Saudi Arabia has a GDP per capita of $34,537 as of 2025, while in Turkmenistan, the GDP per capita is $6,540 as of 2025.
Life
be 28.6% less 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 Turkmenistan, 5.0 women do as of 2023.
have 26.7% more children
In Saudi Arabia, there are approximately 16.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 6.5 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 Turkmenistan, on the other hand, 30.4 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 74.7% less likely to have internet access
In Saudi Arabia, approximately 100.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, about 25.3% do as of 2022.
Safety
be 56.8% less likely to die in a road accident
In Saudi Arabia, road accidents kill 18.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Turkmenistan, they kill 8.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 86.1% less strain on fresh water
Saudi Arabia withdraws 974% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Turkmenistan withdraws 135% as of 2022.
find 88.2% less home broadband
Saudi Arabia has 44.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Turkmenistan has 5.2 as of 2022.
use 76.7% less electricity
Saudi Arabia uses 11,911 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Turkmenistan uses 2,778 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 41.2% less CO2
Saudi Arabia emits 18.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Turkmenistan emits 10.9 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), The World Factbook (2022). How we calculate this
Compare further: Saudi Arabia vs. Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan: At a glance
How big is Turkmenistan compared to Saudi Arabia? See an in-depth size comparison.