If you lived in Belarus instead of Sierra Leone, you would:

Health

live 12.4 years longer

In Sierra Leone, the average life expectancy is 62 years (60 years for men, 64 years for women) as of 2024. In Belarus, that number is 74 years (70 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 13.8 times more spent on your healthcare

Sierra Leone spends $159 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Belarus spends $2,194 as of 2023.

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have 35.2 times more doctors per person

Sierra Leone has 1.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Belarus has 47.2 as of 2023.

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have 92.7% more access to essential health services

Sierra Leone scores 41 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Belarus scores 79 as of 2021.

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be 2.5 times more likely to be obese

In Sierra Leone, 8.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Belarus, that number is 20.6% of people as of 2024.

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be 2.5 times more likely to die by suicide

Sierra Leone has a suicide rate of 6.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Belarus, it is 15.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

make 12.1 times more money

Sierra Leone has a GDP per capita of $846 as of 2025, while in Belarus, the GDP per capita is $10,279 as of 2025.

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Life

be 99.7% less likely to die during childbirth

In Sierra Leone, approximately 354.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Belarus, 1.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 2.1 times more likely to be literate

In Sierra Leone, the literacy rate is 48.6% as of 2022. In Belarus, it is 99.9% as of 2019.

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be 96.7% less likely to die during infancy

In Sierra Leone, approximately 54.6 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Belarus, on the other hand, 1.8 children do as of 2024.

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have 76.7% fewer children

In Sierra Leone, there are approximately 30.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Belarus, there are 7.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 2.8 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Sierra Leone, approximately 36% of people have electricity access (56% in urban areas, and 19% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Belarus, 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 3.8 times more likely to have internet access

In Sierra Leone, approximately 25.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Belarus, about 94.3% do as of 2024.

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be 46.7% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Sierra Leone, approximately 68% of people have access to drinking water (82% in urban areas, and 57% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Belarus, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 92.7% more on education

Sierra Leone spends 2.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Belarus spends 5.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.

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spend 50.0% more on healthcare

Sierra Leone spends 4.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Belarus, that number is 7.1% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 46.4% less likely to die in a road accident

In Sierra Leone, road accidents kill 13.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Belarus, they kill 7.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

live with 9.3 times more strain on fresh water

Sierra Leone withdraws 0% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Belarus withdraws 5% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 29.9% less likely to die from air pollution

In Sierra Leone, air pollution causes 97.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Belarus, it causes 68.0 as of 2019.

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emit 34.9 times more CO2

Sierra Leone emits 0.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Belarus emits 5.9 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 (2022). How we calculate this

Belarus: At a glance

Belarus is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 202,900 sq km. After seven decades as a constituent republic of the USSR, Belarus attained its independence in 1991. It has retained closer political and economic ties to Russia than have any of the other former Soviet republics. Belarus and Russia signed a treaty on a two-state union on 8 December 1999 envisioning greater political and economic integration. Although Belarus agreed to a framework to carry out the accord, serious implementation has yet to take place. Since his election in July 1994 as the country's first directly elected president, Aleksandr LUKASHENKO has steadily consolidated his power through authoritarian means and a centralized economic system. Government restrictions on freedom of speech and the press, peaceful assembly, and religion remain in place.
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