If you lived in Sao Tome and Principe instead of Tajikistan, you would:

Health

be 22.3% less likely to be obese

In Tajikistan, 23.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 17.9% of people as of 2024.

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be 64.6% less likely to die by suicide

Tajikistan has a suicide rate of 2.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Sao Tome and Principe, it is 0.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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live 2.0 years less

In Tajikistan, the average life expectancy is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 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.

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have 75.2% fewer doctors per person

Tajikistan has 18.7 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Sao Tome and Principe has 4.6 as of 2022.

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have 11.9% less access to essential health services

Tajikistan scores 67 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Sao Tome and Principe scores 59 as of 2021.

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Economy

make 2.5 times more money

Tajikistan has a GDP per capita of $1,637 as of 2025, while in Sao Tome and Principe, the GDP per capita is $4,084 as of 2025.

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be 31.7% more likely to be unemployed

In Tajikistan, 6.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 9.1% as of 2025.

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Life

be 60.9% less likely to die during infancy

In Tajikistan, approximately 23.5 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.

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have 10.9% more children

In Tajikistan, there are approximately 25.3 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.

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be 5.4 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Tajikistan, approximately 14.0 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.

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Basic Needs

be 18.7% less likely to have access to electricity

In Tajikistan, 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.

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be 12.6% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Tajikistan, approximately 89% of people have access to drinking water (95% in urban areas, and 87% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 78% of people on average (79% in urban areas, and 73% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 22.4% less on healthcare

Tajikistan spends 7.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 5.8% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 15.8% less likely to die in a road accident

In Tajikistan, road accidents kill 13.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Sao Tome and Principe, they kill 11.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 3.1 times more home broadband

Tajikistan has 1.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Sao Tome and Principe has 3.0 as of 2024.

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live with 97.3% less strain on fresh water

Tajikistan withdraws 70% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Sao Tome and Principe withdraws 2% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 46.5% less likely to die from air pollution

In Tajikistan, air pollution causes 159.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Sao Tome and Principe, it causes 85.0 as of 2019.

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emit 31.5% less CO2

Tajikistan emits 0.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Sao Tome and Principe emits 0.6 tonnes as of 2024.

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

Sao Tome and Principe: At a glance

Sao Tome and Principe is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 964 sq km. Discovered and claimed by Portugal in the late 15th century, the islands' sugar-based economy gave way to coffee and cocoa in the 19th century - all grown with African plantation slave labor, a form of which lingered into the 20th century. While independence was achieved in 1975, democratic reforms were not instituted until the late 1980s. The country held its first free elections in 1991, but frequent internal wrangling between the various political parties precipitated repeated changes in leadership and two failed coup attempts in 1995 and 2003. In 2012, three opposition parties combined in a no confidence vote to bring down the majority government of former Prime Minister Patrice TROVOADA. The new government of Prime Minister Gabriel Arcanjo Ferreira DA COSTA is entirely composed of opposition party members with limited experience in governance. New oil discoveries in the Gulf of Guinea may attract increased attention to the small island nation.
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