If you lived in Equatorial Guinea instead of Somalia, you would:

Health

live 4.9 years longer

In Somalia, the average life expectancy is 59 years (56 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2024. In Equatorial Guinea, that number is 64 years (62 years for men, 66 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 11.7 times more spent on your healthcare

Somalia spends $52 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Equatorial Guinea spends $609 as of 2023.

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have 70.4% more access to essential health services

Somalia scores 27 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Equatorial Guinea scores 46 as of 2021.

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be 11.7% less likely to die by suicide

Somalia has a suicide rate of 8.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Equatorial Guinea, it is 7.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 28.8% more likely to be obese

In Somalia, 14.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Equatorial Guinea, that number is 19.2% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

be 56.0% less likely to be unemployed

In Somalia, 18.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Equatorial Guinea, that number is 8.3% as of 2025.

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make 10.0 times more money

Somalia has a GDP per capita of $661 as of 2025, while in Equatorial Guinea, the GDP per capita is $6,615 as of 2025.

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Life

be 69.1% less likely to die during childbirth

In Somalia, approximately 563.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Equatorial Guinea, 174.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 27.2% less likely to die during infancy

In Somalia, approximately 65.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Equatorial Guinea, on the other hand, 47.6 children do as of 2024.

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have 29.2% fewer children

In Somalia, there are approximately 42.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Equatorial Guinea, there are 30.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 33.0% more likely to have access to electricity

In Somalia, approximately 50% of people have electricity access (79% in urban areas, and 24% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Equatorial Guinea, that number is 67% of people on average (89% in urban areas, and 2% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 2.3 times more likely to have internet access

In Somalia, approximately 27.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Equatorial Guinea, about 63.3% do as of 2024.

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Geography

see 90.2% less coastline

Somalia has a total of 3,025 km of coastline. In Equatorial Guinea, that number is 296 km.

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Safety

be 42.1% less likely to die in a road accident

In Somalia, road accidents kill 20.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Equatorial Guinea, they kill 11.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

live with 99.3% less strain on fresh water

Somalia withdraws 25% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Equatorial Guinea withdraws 0% as of 2022.

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find 86.1% less home broadband

Somalia has 0.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Equatorial Guinea has 0.1 as of 2022.

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Environment

emit 51.0 times more CO2

Somalia emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Equatorial Guinea emits 2.5 tonnes as of 2024.

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

Equatorial Guinea: At a glance

Equatorial Guinea is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 28,051 sq km. Equatorial Guinea gained independence in 1968 after 190 years of Spanish rule. This tiny country, composed of a mainland portion plus five inhabited islands, is one of the smallest on the African continent. President Teodoro Obiang NGUEMA MBASOGO has ruled the country since 1979 when he seized power in a coup. Although nominally a constitutional democracy since 1991, the 1996, 2002, and 2009 presidential elections - as well as the 1999, 2004, 2008, and 2013 legislative elections - were widely seen as flawed. The president exerts almost total control over the political system and has discouraged political opposition. Equatorial Guinea has experienced rapid economic growth due to the discovery of large offshore oil reserves, and in the last decade has become Sub-Saharan Africa's third largest oil exporter. Despite the country's economic windfall from oil production, resulting in a massive increase in government revenue in recent years, improvements in the population's living standards have been slow to develop.
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How big is Equatorial Guinea compared to Somalia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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