Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Samoa instead of Sri Lanka, you would:
Health
be 18.6% less likely to die by suicide
Sri Lanka has a suicide rate of 14.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Samoa, it is 12.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 5.8 years less
In Sri Lanka, the average life expectancy is 78 years (74 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024. In Samoa, that number is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.
be 5.7 times more likely to be obese
In Sri Lanka, 11.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Samoa, that number is 64.3% of people as of 2024.
have 50.6% fewer doctors per person
Sri Lanka has 11.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Samoa has 5.6 as of 2021.
have 17.9% less access to essential health services
Sri Lanka scores 67 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Samoa scores 55 as of 2021.
Economy
make 17.4% more money
Sri Lanka has a GDP per capita of $5,002 as of 2025, while in Samoa, the GDP per capita is $5,873 as of 2025.
be 25.0% more likely to be unemployed
In Sri Lanka, 4.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Samoa, that number is 5.0% as of 2025.
be 53.1% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Sri Lanka, 14.3% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In Samoa, however, that number is 21.9% as of 2018.
Life
have 2.5 times more children
In Sri Lanka, there are approximately 10.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Samoa, there are 25.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 5.6 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Sri Lanka, approximately 18.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Samoa, 101.0 women do as of 2023.
be 2.4 times more likely to die during infancy
In Sri Lanka, approximately 5.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Samoa, on the other hand, 12.3 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 37.9% more likely to have internet access
In Sri Lanka, approximately 54.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Samoa, about 75.3% do as of 2022.
be 10.2% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Sri Lanka, approximately 90% of people have access to drinking water (98% in urban areas, and 88% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Samoa, that number is 99% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 99% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 3.0 times more on education
Sri Lanka spends 1.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Samoa spends 5.5% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 84.2% more on healthcare
Sri Lanka spends 3.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Samoa, that number is 6.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 69.9% less coastline
Sri Lanka has a total of 1,340 km of coastline. In Samoa, that number is 403 km.
Safety
be 16.5% less likely to die in a road accident
In Sri Lanka, road accidents kill 11.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Samoa, they kill 9.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 89.1% more likely to be murdered
Sri Lanka has a homicide rate of 3.3 per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Samoa, that number is 6.3 per 100,000 as of 2018.
Infrastructure
find 89.6% less home broadband
Sri Lanka has 8.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Samoa has 0.9 as of 2022.
Environment
emit 50.9% more CO2
Sri Lanka emits 1.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Samoa emits 1.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2018–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Sri Lanka vs. Samoa
Samoa: At a glance
How big is Samoa compared to Sri Lanka? See an in-depth size comparison.