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

Health

live 14.8 years longer

In Somalia, the average life expectancy is 59 years (56 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2024. In Mauritius, that number is 74 years (70 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 30.1 times more spent on your healthcare

Somalia spends $52 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Mauritius spends $1,566 as of 2023.

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have 2.4 times more access to essential health services

Somalia scores 27 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Mauritius scores 66 as of 2021.

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be 41.2% more likely to be obese

In Somalia, 14.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Mauritius, that number is 21.1% of people as of 2024.

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be 32.2% more likely to die by suicide

Somalia has a suicide rate of 8.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Mauritius, it is 10.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 70.3% less likely to be unemployed

In Somalia, 18.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Mauritius, that number is 5.6% as of 2025.

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be 84.8% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Somalia, 55.4% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Mauritius, however, that number is 8.4% as of 2023.

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make 19.6 times more money

Somalia has a GDP per capita of $661 as of 2025, while in Mauritius, the GDP per capita is $12,991 as of 2025.

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Life

be 88.3% 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 Mauritius, 66.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 74.2% more likely to be literate

In Somalia, the literacy rate is 54.1% as of 2022. In Mauritius, it is 94.3% as of 2023.

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be 78.9% 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 Mauritius, on the other hand, 13.8 children do as of 2024.

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have 75.7% fewer children

In Somalia, there are approximately 42.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Mauritius, there are 10.3 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 Mauritius, 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 2.6 times more likely to have internet access

In Somalia, approximately 27.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Mauritius, about 73.3% do as of 2024.

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be 32.7% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Somalia, approximately 75% of people have access to drinking water (84% in urban areas, and 68% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Mauritius, 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 48.9% more on healthcare

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

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Geography

see 94.1% less coastline

Somalia has a total of 3,025 km of coastline. In Mauritius, that number is 177 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 Mauritius, they kill 9.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 38.8 times more home broadband

Somalia has 0.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Mauritius has 28.0 as of 2024.

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Environment

be 56.2% less likely to die from air pollution

In Somalia, air pollution causes 64.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Mauritius, it causes 28.0 as of 2019.

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emit 70.8 times more CO2

Somalia emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Mauritius emits 3.5 tonnes as of 2024.

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

Mauritius: At a glance

Mauritius is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 2,030 sq km. Although known to Arab and Malay sailors as early as the 10th century, Mauritius was first explored by the Portuguese in the 16th century and subsequently settled by the Dutch - who named it in honor of Prince Maurits van NASSAU - in the 17th century. The French assumed control in 1715, developing the island into an important naval base overseeing Indian Ocean trade, and establishing a plantation economy of sugar cane. The British captured the island in 1810, during the Napoleonic Wars. Mauritius remained a strategically important British naval base, and later an air station, playing an important role during World War II for anti-submarine and convoy operations, as well as the collection of signals intelligence. Independence from the UK was attained in 1968. A stable democracy with regular free elections and a positive human rights record, the country has attracted considerable foreign investment and has earned one of Africa's highest per capita incomes.
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How big is Mauritius compared to Somalia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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