If you lived in Ghana instead of Swaziland, you would:

Health

be 93.6% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Swaziland, 23.4% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Ghana, that number is 1.5% of people as of 2024.

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live 1.4 years longer

In Swaziland, the average life expectancy is 64 years (61 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2024. In Ghana, that number is 66 years (63 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 50.8% less likely to be obese

In Swaziland, 29.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Ghana, that number is 14.6% of people as of 2024.

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be 80.5% less likely to die by suicide

Swaziland has a suicide rate of 27.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Ghana, it is 5.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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see 74.6% less spent on your healthcare

Swaziland spends $922 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Ghana spends $234 as of 2023.

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have 52.2% fewer doctors per person

Swaziland has 5.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Ghana has 2.7 as of 2023.

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have 14.3% less access to essential health services

Swaziland scores 56 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Ghana scores 48 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 91.3% less likely to be unemployed

In Swaziland, 34.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Ghana, that number is 3.0% as of 2025.

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make 20.7% less money

Swaziland has a GDP per capita of $4,108 as of 2025, while in Ghana, the GDP per capita is $3,257 as of 2025.

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Life

be 34.8% less likely to die during infancy

In Swaziland, approximately 42.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Ghana, on the other hand, 27.5 children do as of 2024.

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be 98.3% more likely to die during childbirth

In Swaziland, approximately 118.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Ghana, 234.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 15.7% less likely to be literate

In Swaziland, the literacy rate is 90.8% as of 2022. In Ghana, it is 76.5% as of 2021.

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Basic Needs

be 13.8% more likely to have internet access

In Swaziland, approximately 63.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Ghana, about 72.2% do as of 2024.

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be 11.9% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Swaziland, approximately 80% of people have access to drinking water (98% in urban areas, and 74% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Ghana, that number is 90% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 76% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 51.7% less on education

Swaziland spends 6.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Ghana spends 2.9% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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spend 60.7% less on healthcare

Swaziland spends 7.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Ghana, that number is 3.0% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 85.4% less likely to be murdered

Swaziland has a homicide rate of 12.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Ghana, that number is 1.8 per 100,000 as of 2022.

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Infrastructure

live with 91.9% less strain on fresh water

Swaziland withdraws 78% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Ghana withdraws 6% as of 2022.

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find 73.7% less home broadband

Swaziland has 2.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Ghana has 0.7 as of 2024.

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use 52.9% less electricity

Swaziland uses 1,200 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Ghana uses 565 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

emit 20.5% less CO2

Swaziland emits 0.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Ghana emits 0.7 tonnes as of 2024.

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be 34.8% more likely to die from air pollution

In Swaziland, air pollution causes 66.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Ghana, it causes 89.0 as of 2019.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Ghana: At a glance

Ghana is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 227,533 sq km. Formed from the merger of the British colony of the Gold Coast and the Togoland trust territory, Ghana in 1957 became the first sub-Saharan country in colonial Africa to gain its independence. Ghana endured a long series of coups before Lt. Jerry RAWLINGS took power in 1981 and banned political parties. After approving a new constitution and restoring multiparty politics in 1992, RAWLINGS won presidential elections in 1992 and 1996 but was constitutionally prevented from running for a third term in 2000. John KUFUOR succeeded him and was reelected in 2004. John Atta MILLS won the 2008 presidential election and took over as head of state, but he died in July 2012 and was constitutionally succeeded by his vice president John Dramani MAHAMA, who subsequently won the December 2012 presidential election.
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How big is Ghana compared to Swaziland? See an in-depth size comparison.

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