Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Timor-Leste instead of Sri Lanka, you would:

Health

be 67.8% less likely to be obese

In Sri Lanka, 11.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Timor-Leste, that number is 3.6% of people as of 2024.

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be 75.8% less likely to die by suicide

Sri Lanka has a suicide rate of 14.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Timor-Leste, it is 3.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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live 9.8 years less

In Sri Lanka, the average life expectancy is 78 years (74 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024. In Timor-Leste, that number is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024.

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have 33.8% fewer doctors per person

Sri Lanka has 11.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Timor-Leste has 7.5 as of 2020.

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have 22.4% less access to essential health services

Sri Lanka scores 67 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Timor-Leste scores 52 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 60.2% less likely to be unemployed

In Sri Lanka, 4.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Timor-Leste, that number is 1.6% as of 2025.

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make 73.2% less money

Sri Lanka has a GDP per capita of $5,002 as of 2025, while in Timor-Leste, the GDP per capita is $1,341 as of 2025.

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Life

have 2.2 times more children

In Sri Lanka, there are approximately 10.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Timor-Leste, there are 21.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 10.7 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 Timor-Leste, 192.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 25.2% less likely to be literate

In Sri Lanka, the literacy rate is 92.7% as of 2024. In Timor-Leste, it is 69.4% as of 2022.

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be 6.7 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 Timor-Leste, on the other hand, 34.6 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 25.4% less likely to have internet access

In Sri Lanka, approximately 54.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Timor-Leste, about 40.8% do as of 2022.

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Expenditures

spend 2.9 times more on education

Sri Lanka spends 1.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Timor-Leste spends 5.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 2.6 times more on healthcare

Sri Lanka spends 3.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Timor-Leste, that number is 9.6% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 47.3% less coastline

Sri Lanka has a total of 1,340 km of coastline. In Timor-Leste, that number is 706 km.

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Infrastructure

live with 68.9% less strain on fresh water

Sri Lanka withdraws 91% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Timor-Leste withdraws 28% as of 2022.

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find 99.9% less home broadband

Sri Lanka has 8.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Timor-Leste has 0.0 as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 52.8% less CO2

Sri Lanka emits 1.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Timor-Leste emits 0.5 tonnes as of 2024.

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be 64.9% more likely to die from air pollution

In Sri Lanka, air pollution causes 37.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Timor-Leste, it causes 61.0 as of 2019.

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Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

Compare further: Sri Lanka vs. Timor-Leste

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Timor-Leste is 2.6 times more expensive than Sri Lanka overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Sri Lanka is about 4.4 times bigger than Timor-Leste.
→
Moving from Sri Lanka to Timor-Leste · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
→

Timor-Leste: At a glance

Timor-Leste is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 14,874 sq km. The Portuguese began to trade with the island of Timor in the early 16th century and colonized it in mid-century. Skirmishing with the Dutch in the region eventually resulted in an 1859 treaty in which Portugal ceded the western portion of the island. Imperial Japan occupied Portuguese Timor from 1942 to 1945, but Portugal resumed colonial authority after the Japanese defeat in World War II. East Timor declared itself independent from Portugal on 28 November 1975 and was invaded and occupied by Indonesian forces nine days later. It was incorporated into Indonesia in July 1976 as the province of Timor Timur (East Timor). An unsuccessful campaign of pacification followed over the next two decades, during which an estimated 100,000 to 250,000 individuals lost their lives. On 30 August 1999, in a UN-supervised popular referendum, an overwhelming majority of the people of Timor-Leste voted for independence from Indonesia. However, in the next three weeks, anti-independence Timorese militias - organized and supported by the Indonesian military - commenced a large-scale, scorched-earth campaign of retribution. The militias killed approximately 1,400 Timorese and forcibly pushed 300,000 people into western Timor as refugees. Most of the country's infrastructure, including homes, irrigation systems, water supply systems, and schools, and nearly 100% of the country's electrical grid were destroyed. On 20 September 1999, Australian-led peacekeeping troops deployed to the country and brought the violence to an end. On 20 May 2002, Timor-Leste was internationally recognized as an independent state. In 2006, internal tensions threatened the new nation's security when a military strike led to violence and a breakdown of law and order. At Dili's request, an Australian-led International Stabilization Force (ISF) deployed to Timor-Leste, and the UN Security Council established the UN Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT), which included an authorized police presence of over 1,600 personnel. The ISF and UNMIT restored stability, allowing for presidential and parliamentary elections in 2007 in a largely peaceful atmosphere. In February 2008, a rebel group staged an unsuccessful attack against the president and prime minister. The ringleader was killed in the attack, and most of the rebels surrendered in April 2008. Since the attack, the government has enjoyed one of its longest periods of post-independence stability, including successful 2012 elections for both the parliament and president. In late 2012, the UN Security Council voted to end its peacekeeping mission in Timor-Leste and both the ISF and UNMIT departed the country by the end of the year.
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