Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Rwanda instead of Somalia, you would:
Health
live 9.0 years longer
In Somalia, the average life expectancy is 59 years (56 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2024. In Rwanda, that number is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024.
be 62.6% less likely to be obese
In Somalia, 14.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Rwanda, that number is 5.6% of people as of 2024.
see 3.4 times more spent on your healthcare
Somalia spends $52 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Rwanda spends $177 as of 2023.
have 81.5% more access to essential health services
Somalia scores 27 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Rwanda scores 49 as of 2021.
be 20.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Somalia, 0.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Rwanda, that number is 2.0% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 40.1% less likely to be unemployed
In Somalia, 18.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Rwanda, that number is 11.4% as of 2025.
be 50.5% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Somalia, 55.4% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Rwanda, however, that number is 27.4% as of 2023.
make 70.0% more money
Somalia has a GDP per capita of $661 as of 2025, while in Rwanda, the GDP per capita is $1,124 as of 2025.
Life
be 59.3% 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 Rwanda, 229.0 women do as of 2023.
be 45.5% more likely to be literate
In Somalia, the literacy rate is 54.1% as of 2022. In Rwanda, it is 78.8% as of 2022.
be 55.0% 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 Rwanda, on the other hand, 29.4 children do as of 2024.
have 33.7% fewer children
In Somalia, there are approximately 42.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Rwanda, there are 28.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 27.0% 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 Rwanda, that number is 64% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 58% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 13.5% more likely to have internet access
In Somalia, approximately 27.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Rwanda, about 31.7% do as of 2024.
be 18.5% less 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 Rwanda, that number is 61% of people on average (88% in urban areas, and 56% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 37.2% more on healthcare
Somalia spends 3.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Rwanda, that number is 5.1% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 42.6% less likely to die in a road accident
In Somalia, road accidents kill 20.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Rwanda, they kill 11.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 17.7% less strain on fresh water
Somalia withdraws 25% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Rwanda withdraws 20% as of 2022.
find 16.7% less home broadband
Somalia has 0.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Rwanda has 0.6 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 3.2 times more CO2
Somalia emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Rwanda emits 0.2 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Somalia vs. Rwanda
Rwanda: At a glance
How big is Rwanda compared to Somalia? See an in-depth size comparison.