Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Sao Tome and Principe instead of South Korea, you would:
Health
be 96.9% less likely to die by suicide
South Korea has a suicide rate of 27.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Sao Tome and Principe, it is 0.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 13.7 years less
In South Korea, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 70 years (66 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.
be 2.1 times more likely to be obese
In South Korea, 8.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 17.9% of people as of 2024.
see 93.0% less spent on your healthcare
South Korea spends $5,081 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Sao Tome and Principe spends $355 as of 2023.
have 82.2% fewer doctors per person
South Korea has 26.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Sao Tome and Principe has 4.6 as of 2022.
have 33.7% less access to essential health services
South Korea scores 89 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Sao Tome and Principe scores 59 as of 2021.
Economy
be 3.4 times more likely to be unemployed
In South Korea, 2.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 9.1% as of 2025.
be 3.9 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In South Korea, 14.4% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Sao Tome and Principe, however, that number is 55.5% as of 2017.
make 88.7% less money
South Korea has a GDP per capita of $36,227 as of 2025, while in Sao Tome and Principe, the GDP per capita is $4,084 as of 2025.
Life
have 6.0 times more children
In South Korea, there are approximately 4.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, there are 28.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 18.8 times more likely to die during childbirth
In South Korea, approximately 4.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Sao Tome and Principe, 75.0 women do as of 2023.
be 4.0 times more likely to die during infancy
In South Korea, approximately 2.3 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, on the other hand, 9.2 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 18.7% less likely to have access to electricity
In South Korea, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 81% of people on average (82% in urban areas, and 70% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 39.6% less likely to have internet access
In South Korea, approximately 97.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, about 59.1% do as of 2024.
be 22.0% less likely to have access to drinking water
In South Korea, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, 78% of people do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 33.5% less on healthcare
South Korea spends 8.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 5.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 91.3% less coastline
South Korea has a total of 2,413 km of coastline. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 209 km.
Safety
be 69.6% more likely to die in a road accident
In South Korea, road accidents kill 6.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Sao Tome and Principe, they kill 11.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 97.8% less strain on fresh water
South Korea withdraws 85% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Sao Tome and Principe withdraws 2% as of 2022.
find 93.7% less home broadband
South Korea has 47.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Sao Tome and Principe has 3.0 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 94.5% less CO2
South Korea emits 11.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Sao Tome and Principe emits 0.6 tonnes as of 2024.
be 4.5 times more likely to die from air pollution
In South Korea, air pollution causes 19.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Sao Tome and Principe, it causes 85.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2017–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2016), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: South Korea vs. Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: At a glance
How big is Sao Tome and Principe compared to South Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.