If you lived in Sao Tome and Principe instead of Turks and Caicos Islands, you would:

Health

live 8.3 years less

In Turks and Caicos Islands, the average life expectancy is 78 years (76 years for men, 80 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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Economy

make 89.1% less money

Turks and Caicos Islands has a GDP per capita of $37,507 as of 2024, while in Sao Tome and Principe, the GDP per capita is $4,084 as of 2025.

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Life

have 2.7 times more children

In Turks and Caicos Islands, there are approximately 10.5 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 3.1 times more likely to die during infancy

In Turks and Caicos Islands, approximately 3.0 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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Basic Needs

be 18.7% less likely to have access to electricity

In Turks and Caicos Islands, 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 36.8% less likely to have internet access

In Turks and Caicos Islands, approximately 93.5% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Sao Tome and Principe, about 59.1% do as of 2024.

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be 21.1% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Turks and Caicos Islands, approximately 99% of people have access to drinking water (99% in urban areas, and 92% 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 70.5% more on education

Turks and Caicos Islands spends 3.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Sao Tome and Principe spends 5.0% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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Geography

see 46.3% less coastline

Turks and Caicos Islands has a total of 389 km of coastline. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 209 km.

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Environment

emit 87.2% less CO2

Turks and Caicos Islands emits 4.9 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 (2023–2025), The World Factbook (2022). 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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