Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Sudan instead of Somalia, you would:
Health
live 7.5 years longer
In Somalia, the average life expectancy is 59 years (56 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2024. In Sudan, that number is 67 years (63 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024.
have 12.5 times more doctors per person
Somalia has 0.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2014. Sudan has 2.5 as of 2017.
have 63.0% more access to essential health services
Somalia scores 27 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Sudan scores 44 as of 2021.
be 60.3% less likely to die by suicide
Somalia has a suicide rate of 8.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Sudan, it is 3.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 19.3% more likely to be obese
In Somalia, 14.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Sudan, that number is 17.8% of people as of 2024.
see 45.7% less spent on your healthcare
Somalia spends $52 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Sudan spends $28 as of 2023.
Economy
be 39.6% less likely to be unemployed
In Somalia, 18.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Sudan, that number is 11.4% as of 2023.
make 76.1% more money
Somalia has a GDP per capita of $661 as of 2025, while in Sudan, the GDP per capita is $1,165 as of 2025.
Life
be 54.5% 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 Sudan, 256.0 women do as of 2023.
be 34.4% 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 Sudan, on the other hand, 42.9 children do as of 2024.
have 22.1% fewer children
In Somalia, there are approximately 42.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Sudan, there are 33.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 31.2% 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 Sudan, that number is 66% of people on average (87% in urban areas, and 54% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 13.8% 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 Sudan, that number is 65% of people on average (74% in urban areas, and 60% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 23.8% less on healthcare
Somalia spends 3.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Sudan, that number is 2.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 71.8% less coastline
Somalia has a total of 3,025 km of coastline. In Sudan, that number is 853 km.
Infrastructure
find 91.7% less home broadband
Somalia has 0.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Sudan has 0.1 as of 2022.
live with 4.8 times more strain on fresh water
Somalia withdraws 25% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Sudan withdraws 119% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 8.6 times more CO2
Somalia emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Sudan emits 0.4 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2017–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2014–2021), The World Factbook (2023), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Somalia vs. Sudan
Sudan: At a glance
How big is Sudan compared to Somalia? See an in-depth size comparison.