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

Health

be 71.4% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Sierra Leone, 1.4% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Ecuador, that number is 0.4% of people as of 2024.

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live 15.6 years longer

In Sierra Leone, the average life expectancy is 62 years (60 years for men, 64 years for women) as of 2024. In Ecuador, that number is 78 years (75 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 7.8 times more spent on your healthcare

Sierra Leone spends $159 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Ecuador spends $1,238 as of 2023.

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have 17.3 times more doctors per person

Sierra Leone has 1.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Ecuador has 23.1 as of 2020.

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have 87.8% more access to essential health services

Sierra Leone scores 41 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Ecuador scores 77 as of 2021.

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be 3.5 times more likely to be obese

In Sierra Leone, 8.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Ecuador, that number is 28.9% of people as of 2024.

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be 23.1% more likely to die by suicide

Sierra Leone has a suicide rate of 6.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Ecuador, it is 7.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

make 8.4 times more money

Sierra Leone has a GDP per capita of $846 as of 2025, while in Ecuador, the GDP per capita is $7,125 as of 2025.

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Life

be 84.5% 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 Ecuador, 55.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 92.4% more likely to be literate

In Sierra Leone, the literacy rate is 48.6% as of 2022. In Ecuador, it is 93.5% as of 2024.

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be 80.0% 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 Ecuador, on the other hand, 10.9 children do as of 2024.

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have 50.8% fewer children

In Sierra Leone, there are approximately 30.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Ecuador, there are 14.8 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 Ecuador, that number is 99% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 96% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 3.1 times more likely to have internet access

In Sierra Leone, approximately 25.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Ecuador, about 77.2% do as of 2024.

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be 35.2% 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 Ecuador, that number is 92% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 81% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 40.8% more on education

Sierra Leone spends 2.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Ecuador spends 3.7% of total GDP on education as of 2024.

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spend 60.2% more on healthcare

Sierra Leone spends 4.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Ecuador, that number is 7.6% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 5.6 times more coastline

Sierra Leone has a total of 402 km of coastline. In Ecuador, that number is 2,237 km.

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Safety

be 20.6 times more likely to be murdered

Sierra Leone has a homicide rate of 2.2 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Ecuador, that number is 45.7 per 100,000 as of 2023.

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be 69.6% more likely to die in a road accident

In Sierra Leone, road accidents kill 13.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Ecuador, they kill 23.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

live with 13.6 times more strain on fresh water

Sierra Leone withdraws 0% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Ecuador withdraws 7% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 76.3% less likely to die from air pollution

In Sierra Leone, air pollution causes 97.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Ecuador, it causes 23.0 as of 2019.

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emit 15.5 times more CO2

Sierra Leone emits 0.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Ecuador emits 2.6 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2022), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Ecuador: At a glance

Ecuador is a sovereign country in South America, with a total land area of approximately 276,841 sq km. What is now Ecuador formed part of the northern Inca Empire until the Spanish conquest in 1533. Quito became a seat of Spanish colonial government in 1563 and part of the Viceroyalty of New Granada in 1717. The territories of the Viceroyalty - New Granada (Colombia), Venezuela, and Quito - gained their independence between 1819 and 1822 and formed a federation known as Gran Colombia. When Quito withdrew in 1830, the traditional name was changed in favor of the "Republic of the Equator." Between 1904 and 1942, Ecuador lost territories in a series of conflicts with its neighbors. A border war with Peru that flared in 1995 was resolved in 1999. Although Ecuador marked 30 years of civilian governance in 2004, the period was marred by political instability. Protests in Quito contributed to the mid-term ouster of three of Ecuador's last four democratically elected presidents. In late 2008, voters approved a new constitution, Ecuador's 20th since gaining independence. General elections were held in February 2013, and voters re-elected President Rafael CORREA.
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How big is Ecuador compared to Sierra Leone? See an in-depth size comparison.

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