Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 5.0 years longer

In Timor-Leste, the average life expectancy is 70 years (68 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2022. In Colombia, that number is 75 years (71 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2022.

be 5.9 times more likely to be obese

In Timor-Leste, 3.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Colombia, that number is 22.3% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 4.2 times more money

Timor-Leste has a GDP per capita of $3,200 as of 2020, while in Colombia, the GDP per capita is $13,400 as of 2020.

be 14.6% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Timor-Leste, 41.8% live below the poverty line as of 2014. In Colombia, however, that number is 35.7% as of 2019.

be 2.4 times more likely to be unemployed

In Timor-Leste, 4.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2014. In Colombia, that number is 10.5% as of 2019.

Life

be 41.5% less likely to die during childbirth

In Timor-Leste, approximately 142.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Colombia, 83.0 women do as of 2017.

be 40.4% more likely to be literate

In Timor-Leste, the literacy rate is 68.1% as of 2018. In Colombia, it is 95.6% as of 2020.

be 65.4% less likely to die during infancy

In Timor-Leste, approximately 33.7 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Colombia, on the other hand, 11.7 children do as of 2022.

have 50.8% fewer children

In Timor-Leste, there are approximately 30.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Colombia, there are 15.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 13.3% more likely to have access to electricity

In Timor-Leste, approximately 86% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 79% in rural areas) as of 2018. In Colombia, that number is 97% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 86% in rural areas) as of 2019.

be 2.4 times more likely to have internet access

In Timor-Leste, approximately 29.0% of the population has internet access as of 2020. In Colombia, about 70.0% do as of 2020.

be 11.8% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Timor-Leste, approximately 87% of people have improved drinking water access (98% in urban areas, and 82% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Colombia, that number is 98% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 88% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 33.8% less on education

Timor-Leste spends 6.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2018. Colombia spends 4.5% of total GDP on education as of 2019.

Geography

see 4.5 times more coastline

Timor-Leste has a total of 706 km of coastline. In Colombia, that number is 3,208 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Colombia: At a glance

Colombia is a sovereign country in South America, with a total land area of approximately 1,038,700 sq km. Colombia was one of the three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others are Ecuador and Venezuela). A nearly five-decade long conflict between government forces and anti-government insurgent groups, principally the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) heavily funded by the drug trade, escalated during the 1990s. More than 31,000 former paramilitaries had demobilized by the end of 2006 and the United Self Defense Forces of Colombia as a formal organization had ceased to function. In the wake of the paramilitary demobilization, emerging criminal groups arose, whose members include some former paramilitaries. The insurgents lack the military or popular support necessary to overthrow the government, but continue attacks against civilians. Large areas of the countryside are under guerrilla influence or are contested by security forces. In November 2012, the Colombian Government started formal peace negotiations with the FARC aimed at reaching a definitive bilateral ceasefire and incorporating demobilized FARC members into mainstream society and politics. The Colombian Government has stepped up efforts to reassert government control throughout the country, and now has a presence in every one of its administrative departments. Despite decades of internal conflict and drug related security challenges, Colombia maintains relatively strong democratic institutions characterized by peaceful, transparent elections and the protection of civil liberties.
Read more

How big is Colombia compared to Timor-Leste? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Colombia.or Timor-Leste It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.