Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Samoa instead of Uganda, you would:
Health
live 3.3 years longer
In Uganda, the average life expectancy is 68 years (65 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024. In Samoa, that number is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.
see 3.4 times more spent on your healthcare
Uganda spends $139 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Samoa spends $475 as of 2023.
have 2.9 times more doctors per person
Uganda has 1.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Samoa has 5.6 as of 2021.
have 12.2% more access to essential health services
Uganda scores 49 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Samoa scores 55 as of 2021.
be 6.8 times more likely to be obese
In Uganda, 9.5% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Samoa, that number is 64.3% of people as of 2024.
be 2.2 times more likely to die by suicide
Uganda has a suicide rate of 5.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Samoa, it is 12.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 4.9 times more money
Uganda has a GDP per capita of $1,206 as of 2025, while in Samoa, the GDP per capita is $5,873 as of 2025.
be 81.8% more likely to be unemployed
In Uganda, 2.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Samoa, that number is 5.0% as of 2025.
Life
be 40.6% less likely to die during childbirth
In Uganda, approximately 170.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Samoa, 101.0 women do as of 2023.
be 28.6% more likely to be literate
In Uganda, the literacy rate is 77.0% as of 2024. In Samoa, it is 99.1% as of 2021.
be 65.7% less likely to die during infancy
In Uganda, approximately 35.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Samoa, on the other hand, 12.3 children do as of 2024.
have 27.5% fewer children
In Uganda, there are approximately 34.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Samoa, there are 25.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 94.2% more likely to have access to electricity
In Uganda, approximately 52% of people have electricity access (76% in urban areas, and 42% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Samoa, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 8.4 times more likely to have internet access
In Uganda, approximately 8.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Samoa, about 75.3% do as of 2022.
be 57.8% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Uganda, approximately 63% of people have access to drinking water (80% in urban areas, and 57% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Samoa, that number is 99% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 99% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.1 times more on education
Uganda spends 2.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Samoa spends 5.5% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 59.9% more on healthcare
Uganda spends 4.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Samoa, that number is 6.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 40.0% less likely to die in a road accident
In Uganda, road accidents kill 16.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Samoa, they kill 9.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 4.2 times more home broadband
Uganda has 0.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Samoa has 0.9 as of 2022.
Environment
be 43.3% less likely to die from air pollution
In Uganda, air pollution causes 60.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Samoa, it causes 34.0 as of 2019.
emit 9.4 times more CO2
Uganda emits 0.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Samoa emits 1.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Uganda vs. Samoa
Samoa: At a glance
How big is Samoa compared to Uganda? See an in-depth size comparison.