If you lived in Lebanon instead of Somalia, you would:

Health

live 19.0 years longer

In Somalia, the average life expectancy is 59 years (56 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2024. In Lebanon, that number is 78 years (76 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 12.4 times more spent on your healthcare

Somalia spends $52 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Lebanon spends $644 as of 2023.

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have 2.7 times more access to essential health services

Somalia scores 27 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Lebanon scores 73 as of 2021.

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be 91.2% less likely to die by suicide

Somalia has a suicide rate of 8.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Lebanon, it is 0.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 2.1 times more likely to be obese

In Somalia, 14.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Lebanon, that number is 30.7% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

be 42.1% less likely to be unemployed

In Somalia, 18.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Lebanon, that number is 11.0% as of 2023.

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make 6.8 times more money

Somalia has a GDP per capita of $661 as of 2025, while in Lebanon, the GDP per capita is $4,473 as of 2024.

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Life

be 97.3% 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 Lebanon, 15.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 70.0% more likely to be literate

In Somalia, the literacy rate is 54.1% as of 2022. In Lebanon, it is 92.0% as of 2019.

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be 76.6% 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 Lebanon, on the other hand, 15.3 children do as of 2024.

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have 62.3% fewer children

In Somalia, there are approximately 42.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Lebanon, there are 16.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 98.8% 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 Lebanon, 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 2.9 times more likely to have internet access

In Somalia, approximately 27.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Lebanon, about 80.6% do as of 2024.

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be 23.0% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Somalia, approximately 75% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Lebanon, 93% of people do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 48.9% more on healthcare

Somalia spends 3.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Lebanon, that number is 5.6% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 92.6% less coastline

Somalia has a total of 3,025 km of coastline. In Lebanon, that number is 225 km.

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Safety

be 52.0% less likely to die in a road accident

In Somalia, road accidents kill 20.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Lebanon, they kill 9.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 10.1 times more home broadband

Somalia has 0.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Lebanon has 7.3 as of 2022.

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live with 2.4 times more strain on fresh water

Somalia withdraws 25% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Lebanon withdraws 59% as of 2022.

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Environment

emit 38.0 times more CO2

Somalia emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Lebanon emits 1.9 tonnes as of 2024.

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

Lebanon: At a glance

Lebanon is a sovereign country in Middle East, with a total land area of approximately 10,230 sq km. Following World War I, France acquired a mandate over the northern portion of the former Ottoman Empire province of Syria. The French demarcated the region of Lebanon in 1920 and granted this area independence in 1943. Since independence the country has been marked by periods of political turmoil interspersed with prosperity built on its position as a regional center for finance and trade. The country's 1975-90 civil war that resulted in an estimated 120,000 fatalities, was followed by years of social and political instability. Sectarianism is a key element of Lebanese political life. Neighboring Syria has long influenced Lebanon's foreign policy and internal policies, and its military occupied Lebanon from 1976 until 2005. The Lebanon-based Hizballah militia and Israel continued attacks and counterattacks against each other after Syria's withdrawal, and fought a brief war in 2006. Lebanon's borders with Syria and Israel remain unresolved.
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