Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Sao Tome and Principe instead of Turkmenistan, you would:
Health
be 19.4% less likely to be obese
In Turkmenistan, 22.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 17.9% of people as of 2024.
be 87.4% less likely to die by suicide
Turkmenistan has a suicide rate of 6.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Sao Tome and Principe, it is 0.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
see 71.9% less spent on your healthcare
Turkmenistan spends $1,264 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Sao Tome and Principe spends $355 as of 2023.
have 76.0% fewer doctors per person
Turkmenistan has 19.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Sao Tome and Principe has 4.6 as of 2022.
have 21.3% less access to essential health services
Turkmenistan scores 75 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Sao Tome and Principe scores 59 as of 2021.
Economy
be 2.1 times more likely to be unemployed
In Turkmenistan, 4.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 9.1% as of 2025.
make 37.5% less money
Turkmenistan has a GDP per capita of $6,540 as of 2025, while in Sao Tome and Principe, the GDP per capita is $4,084 as of 2025.
Life
be 69.7% less likely to die during infancy
In Turkmenistan, approximately 30.4 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.
have 34.3% more children
In Turkmenistan, there are approximately 20.9 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.
be 15.0 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Turkmenistan, approximately 5.0 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.
Basic Needs
be 2.3 times more likely to have internet access
In Turkmenistan, approximately 25.3% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Sao Tome and Principe, about 59.1% do as of 2024.
be 18.7% less likely to have access to electricity
In Turkmenistan, 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.
be 22.0% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Turkmenistan, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water (100% in urban areas, and 100% 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.
Expenditures
spend 17.2% more on education
Turkmenistan spends 4.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Sao Tome and Principe spends 5.0% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Safety
be 46.2% more likely to die in a road accident
In Turkmenistan, road accidents kill 8.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Sao Tome and Principe, they kill 11.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 98.6% less strain on fresh water
Turkmenistan withdraws 135% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Sao Tome and Principe withdraws 2% as of 2022.
find 42.7% less home broadband
Turkmenistan has 5.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Sao Tome and Principe has 3.0 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 94.2% less CO2
Turkmenistan emits 10.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Sao Tome and Principe emits 0.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2022). How we calculate this
Compare further: Turkmenistan vs. Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: At a glance
How big is Sao Tome and Principe compared to Turkmenistan? See an in-depth size comparison.