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

Health

live 19.9 years longer

In Sierra Leone, the average life expectancy is 62 years (60 years for men, 64 years for women) as of 2024. In Cyprus, that number is 82 years (80 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 28.6 times more spent on your healthcare

Sierra Leone spends $159 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Cyprus spends $4,538 as of 2023.

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have 26.5 times more doctors per person

Sierra Leone has 1.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Cyprus has 35.6 as of 2022.

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have 97.6% more access to essential health services

Sierra Leone scores 41 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Cyprus scores 81 as of 2021.

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be 50.8% less likely to die by suicide

Sierra Leone has a suicide rate of 6.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Cyprus, it is 3.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 2.6 times more likely to be obese

In Sierra Leone, 8.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Cyprus, that number is 21.6% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

be 75.5% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Sierra Leone, 56.8% live below the poverty line as of 2018. In Cyprus, however, that number is 13.9% as of 2021.

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make 49.4 times more money

Sierra Leone has a GDP per capita of $846 as of 2025, while in Cyprus, the GDP per capita is $41,783 as of 2025.

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be 56.2% more likely to be unemployed

In Sierra Leone, 3.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Cyprus, that number is 4.9% as of 2025.

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Life

be 96.0% 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 Cyprus, 14.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 2.0 times more likely to be literate

In Sierra Leone, the literacy rate is 48.6% as of 2022. In Cyprus, it is 99.4% as of 2021.

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be 92.5% 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 Cyprus, on the other hand, 4.1 children do as of 2024.

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have 65.1% fewer children

In Sierra Leone, there are approximately 30.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Cyprus, there are 10.5 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 Cyprus, 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 3.6 times more likely to have internet access

In Sierra Leone, approximately 25.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Cyprus, about 89.6% do as of 2024.

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be 46.5% 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 Cyprus, 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 80.9% more on education

Sierra Leone spends 2.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Cyprus spends 4.7% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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spend 72.0% more on healthcare

Sierra Leone spends 4.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Cyprus, that number is 8.1% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 61.2% more coastline

Sierra Leone has a total of 402 km of coastline. In Cyprus, that number is 648 km.

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Safety

be 63.1% less likely to be murdered

Sierra Leone has a homicide rate of 2.2 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Cyprus, that number is 0.8 per 100,000 as of 2023.

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be 71.7% less likely to die in a road accident

In Sierra Leone, road accidents kill 13.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Cyprus, they kill 3.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

live with 61.0 times more strain on fresh water

Sierra Leone withdraws 0% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Cyprus withdraws 30% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 83.5% less likely to die from air pollution

In Sierra Leone, air pollution causes 97.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Cyprus, it causes 16.0 as of 2019.

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emit 31.8 times more CO2

Sierra Leone emits 0.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Cyprus emits 5.4 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2018–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2021–2022), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Cyprus: At a glance

Cyprus is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 9,241 sq km. A former British colony, Cyprus became independent in 1960 following years of resistance to British rule. Tensions between the Greek Cypriot majority and Turkish Cypriot minority came to a head in December 1963, when violence broke out in the capital of Nicosia. Despite the deployment of UN peacekeepers in 1964, sporadic intercommunal violence continued forcing most Turkish Cypriots into enclaves throughout the island. In 1974, a Greek Government-sponsored attempt to overthrow the elected president of Cyprus was met by military intervention from Turkey, which soon controlled more than a third of the island. In 1983, the Turkish Cypriot-occupied area declared itself the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" ("TRNC"), but it is recognized only by Turkey. In February 2014, after a hiatus of nearly two years, the leaders of the two communities resumed formal discussions under UN auspices aimed at reuniting the divided island. The talks are ongoing. The entire island entered the EU on 1 May 2004, although the EU acquis - the body of common rights and obligations - applies only to the areas under the internationally recognized government, and is suspended in the areas administered by Turkish Cypriots. However, individual Turkish Cypriots able to document their eligibility for Republic of Cyprus citizenship legally enjoy the same rights accorded to other citizens of European Union states.
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