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

Health

live 7.6 years longer

In Swaziland, the average life expectancy is 64 years (61 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2024. In Samoa, that number is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 55.9% less likely to die by suicide

Swaziland has a suicide rate of 27.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Samoa, it is 12.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 2.2 times more likely to be obese

In Swaziland, 29.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Samoa, that number is 64.3% of people as of 2024.

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see 48.5% less spent on your healthcare

Swaziland spends $922 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Samoa spends $475 as of 2023.

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Economy

be 85.4% less likely to be unemployed

In Swaziland, 34.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Samoa, that number is 5.0% as of 2025.

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make 43.0% more money

Swaziland has a GDP per capita of $4,108 as of 2025, while in Samoa, the GDP per capita is $5,873 as of 2025.

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Life

be 70.9% 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 Samoa, on the other hand, 12.3 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 15.7% more likely to have access to electricity

In Swaziland, approximately 86% of people have electricity access (91% in urban areas, and 85% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Samoa, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 18.8% more likely to have internet access

In Swaziland, approximately 63.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Samoa, about 75.3% do as of 2022.

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be 23.7% 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 Samoa, that number is 99% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 99% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Safety

be 50.0% less likely to be murdered

Swaziland has a homicide rate of 12.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Samoa, that number is 6.3 per 100,000 as of 2018.

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be 61.1% less likely to die in a road accident

In Swaziland, road accidents kill 24.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Samoa, they kill 9.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 64.9% less home broadband

Swaziland has 2.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Samoa has 0.9 as of 2022.

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Environment

be 48.5% less likely to die from air pollution

In Swaziland, air pollution causes 66.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Samoa, it causes 34.0 as of 2019.

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emit 81.8% more CO2

Swaziland emits 0.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Samoa emits 1.6 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2018–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Samoa: At a glance

Samoa is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 2,821 sq km. New Zealand occupied the German protectorate of Western Samoa at the outbreak of World War I in 1914. It continued to administer the islands as a mandate and then as a trust territory until 1962, when the islands became the first Polynesian nation to reestablish independence in the 20th century. The country dropped the "Western" from its name in 1997.
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How big is Samoa compared to Swaziland? See an in-depth size comparison.

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