Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Libya instead of Tonga, you would:

Health

be 54.4% less likely to be obese

In Tonga, 73.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Libya, that number is 33.7% of people as of 2024.

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see 2.1 times more spent on your healthcare

Tonga spends $512 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Libya spends $1,055 as of 2023.

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live 1.9 years less

In Tonga, the average life expectancy is 73 years (70 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2024. In Libya, that number is 71 years (70 years for men, 73 years for women) as of 2024.

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Economy

be 9.3 times more likely to be unemployed

In Tonga, 2.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Libya, that number is 18.8% as of 2025.

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Life

have 28.4% fewer children

In Tonga, there are approximately 23.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Libya, there are 16.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 21.5% more likely to have internet access

In Tonga, approximately 67.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Libya, about 82.0% do as of 2024.

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be 26.8% less likely to have access to electricity

In Tonga, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Libya, that number is 73% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 96% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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Geography

see 4.2 times more coastline

Tonga has a total of 419 km of coastline. In Libya, that number is 1,770 km.

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Safety

be 4.0 times more likely to die in a road accident

In Tonga, road accidents kill 8.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Libya, they kill 34.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 44.7% less home broadband

Tonga has 8.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Libya has 4.5 as of 2022.

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Environment

be 2.2 times more likely to die from air pollution

In Tonga, air pollution causes 24.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Libya, it causes 54.0 as of 2019.

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emit 5.3 times more CO2

Tonga emits 1.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Libya emits 8.7 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

Compare further: Tonga vs. Libya

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Libya is 61.5% cheaper than Tonga overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Tonga is about 2,355 times smaller than Libya.
→
Moving from Tonga to Libya · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
→

Libya: At a glance

Libya is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 1,759,540 sq km. The Italians supplanted the Ottoman Turks in the area around Tripoli in 1911 and did not relinquish their hold until 1943 when defeated in World War II. Libya then passed to UN administration and achieved independence in 1951. Following a 1969 military coup, Col. Muammar al-QADHAFI assumed leadership and began to espouse his political system at home, which was a combination of socialism and Islam. During the 1970s, QADHAFI used oil revenues to promote his ideology outside Libya, supporting subversive and terrorist activities that included the downing of two airliners - one over Scotland, another in Northern Africa - and a discotheque bombing in Berlin. UN sanctions in 1992 isolated QADHAFI politically and economically following the attacks; sanctions were lifted in 2003 following Libyan acceptance of responsibility for the bombings and agreement to claimant compensation. QADHAFI also agreed to end Libya's program to develop weapons of mass destruction, and he made significant strides in normalizing relations with Western nations. Unrest that began in several Middle Eastern and North African countries in late 2010 erupted in Libyan cities in early 2011. QADHAFI's brutal crackdown on protesters spawned a civil war that triggered UN authorization of air and naval intervention by the international community. After months of seesaw fighting between government and opposition forces, the QADHAFI regime was toppled in mid-2011 and replaced by a transitional government. Libya in 2012 formed a new parliament and elected a new prime minister.
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How big is Libya compared to Tonga? See an in-depth size comparison.

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