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

Health

live 12.4 years longer

In Somalia, the average life expectancy is 59 years (56 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2024. In Moldova, that number is 71 years (67 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 22.7 times more spent on your healthcare

Somalia spends $52 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Moldova spends $1,181 as of 2023.

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have 2.6 times more access to essential health services

Somalia scores 27 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Moldova scores 71 as of 2021.

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be 49.5% more likely to be obese

In Somalia, 14.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Moldova, that number is 22.3% of people as of 2024.

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be 77.6% more likely to die by suicide

Somalia has a suicide rate of 8.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Moldova, it is 14.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 92.1% less likely to be unemployed

In Somalia, 18.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Moldova, that number is 1.5% as of 2025.

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be 39.4% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Somalia, 55.4% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Moldova, however, that number is 33.6% as of 2024.

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make 13.0 times more money

Somalia has a GDP per capita of $661 as of 2025, while in Moldova, the GDP per capita is $8,622 as of 2025.

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Life

be 96.6% 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 Moldova, 19.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 84.0% more likely to be literate

In Somalia, the literacy rate is 54.1% as of 2022. In Moldova, it is 99.6% as of 2021.

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be 76.9% 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 Moldova, on the other hand, 15.1 children do as of 2024.

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have 75.0% fewer children

In Somalia, there are approximately 42.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Moldova, there are 10.6 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 Moldova, 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 2.8 times more likely to have internet access

In Somalia, approximately 27.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Moldova, about 77.4% do as of 2024.

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be 23.1% 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 Moldova, that number is 93% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 89% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 80.2% more on healthcare

Somalia spends 3.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Moldova, that number is 6.7% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 55.0% less likely to die in a road accident

In Somalia, road accidents kill 20.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Moldova, they kill 9.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 41.2 times more home broadband

Somalia has 0.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Moldova has 29.6 as of 2024.

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live with 48.8% less strain on fresh water

Somalia withdraws 25% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Moldova withdraws 13% as of 2022.

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Environment

emit 68.4 times more CO2

Somalia emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Moldova emits 3.4 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 (2021). How we calculate this

Moldova: At a glance

Moldova is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 32,891 sq km. Part of Romania during the interwar period, Moldova was incorporated into the Soviet Union at the close of World War II. Although the country has been independent from the USSR since 1991, Russian forces have remained on Moldovan territory east of the Nistru River supporting the separatist region of Transnistria, composed of a Slavic majority population (mostly Ukrainians and Russians), but with a sizeable ethnic Moldovan minority. One of the poorest nations in Europe, Moldova became the first former Soviet state to elect a communist, Vladimir VORONIN, as its president in 2001. VORONIN served as Moldova's president until he resigned in September 2009, following the opposition's gain of a narrow majority in July parliamentary elections and the Communist Party's (PCRM) subsequent inability to attract the three-fifths of parliamentary votes required to elect a president and, by doing so, put into place a permanent government. Four Moldovan opposition parties formed a new coalition, the Alliance for European Integration (AEI), iterations of which have acted as Moldova's governing coalitions since. Moldova experienced significant political uncertainty between 2009 and early 2012, holding three general elections and numerous presidential ballots in parliament, all of which failed to secure a president. Following November 2010 parliamentary elections, a reconstituted AEI-coalition consisting of three of the four original AEI parties formed a government, and in March 2012 was finally able to elect an independent as president. As of late May 2013, the ruling coalition - comprised of two of the original AEI parties and a splinter group from a third - is called the Pro-European Coalition. In November 2013, the Moldovan Government initialed an Association Agreement with the European Union (EU), advancing the coalition's policy priority of EU integration.
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