Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Nicaragua instead of Senegal, you would:
Health
live 6.2 years longer
In Senegal, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024. In Nicaragua, that number is 75 years (72 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2024.
see 3.3 times more spent on your healthcare
Senegal spends $206 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Nicaragua spends $689 as of 2023.
have 40.0% more access to essential health services
Senegal scores 50 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Nicaragua scores 70 as of 2021.
be 37.3% less likely to die by suicide
Senegal has a suicide rate of 6.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Nicaragua, it is 4.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 3.0 times more likely to be obese
In Senegal, 11.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Nicaragua, that number is 34.9% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 62.3% more money
Senegal has a GDP per capita of $1,955 as of 2025, while in Nicaragua, the GDP per capita is $3,173 as of 2025.
be 84.6% more likely to be unemployed
In Senegal, 2.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Nicaragua, that number is 5.0% as of 2025.
Life
be 74.7% less likely to die during childbirth
In Senegal, approximately 237.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Nicaragua, 60.0 women do as of 2023.
be 67.5% less likely to die during infancy
In Senegal, approximately 28.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Nicaragua, on the other hand, 9.4 children do as of 2024.
have 34.4% fewer children
In Senegal, there are approximately 29.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Nicaragua, there are 19.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 19.0% more likely to have access to electricity
In Senegal, approximately 74% of people have electricity access (96% in urban areas, and 56% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Nicaragua, that number is 88% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 71% in rural areas) as of 2023.
Expenditures
spend 53.4% less on education
Senegal spends 6.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Nicaragua spends 2.9% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 92.1% more on healthcare
Senegal spends 4.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Nicaragua, that number is 8.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 71.4% more coastline
Senegal has a total of 531 km of coastline. In Nicaragua, that number is 910 km.
Safety
be 34.6% less likely to die in a road accident
In Senegal, road accidents kill 20.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Nicaragua, they kill 13.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 43.1% more home broadband
Senegal has 4.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Nicaragua has 5.8 as of 2024.
live with 86.4% less strain on fresh water
Senegal withdraws 16% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Nicaragua withdraws 2% as of 2022.
use 56.2% more electricity
Senegal uses 410 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Nicaragua uses 641 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 41.5% less likely to die from air pollution
In Senegal, air pollution causes 65.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Nicaragua, it causes 38.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Senegal vs. Nicaragua
Nicaragua: At a glance
How big is Nicaragua compared to Senegal? See an in-depth size comparison.