Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Samoa instead of United States, you would:
Health
be 23.2% less likely to die by suicide
United States has a suicide rate of 15.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Samoa, it is 12.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 7.1 years less
In United States, the average life expectancy is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024. In Samoa, that number is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.
be 56.9% more likely to be obese
In United States, 41.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Samoa, that number is 64.3% of people as of 2024.
see 96.5% less spent on your healthcare
United States spends $13,473 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Samoa spends $475 as of 2023.
have 84.8% fewer doctors per person
United States has 36.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Samoa has 5.6 as of 2021.
have 36.0% less access to essential health services
United States scores 86 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Samoa scores 55 as of 2021.
Economy
be 19.0% more likely to be unemployed
In United States, 4.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Samoa, that number is 5.0% as of 2025.
make 93.5% less money
United States has a GDP per capita of $90,027 as of 2025, while in Samoa, the GDP per capita is $5,873 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.4 times more children
In United States, there are approximately 10.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Samoa, there are 25.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 5.9 times more likely to die during childbirth
In United States, approximately 17.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Samoa, 101.0 women do as of 2023.
be 2.2 times more likely to die during infancy
In United States, approximately 5.5 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.
Basic Needs
be 20.5% less likely to have internet access
In United States, approximately 94.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Samoa, about 75.3% do as of 2022.
Expenditures
spend 59.4% less on healthcare
United States spends 16.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Samoa, that number is 6.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 98.0% less coastline
United States has a total of 19,924 km of coastline. In Samoa, that number is 403 km.
Safety
be 32.4% less likely to die in a road accident
In United States, road accidents kill 14.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Samoa, they kill 9.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 97.7% less home broadband
United States has 38.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Samoa has 0.9 as of 2022.
Environment
emit 88.3% less CO2
United States emits 13.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Samoa emits 1.6 tonnes as of 2024.
be 2.4 times more likely to die from air pollution
In United States, air pollution causes 14.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Samoa, it causes 34.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: United States vs. Samoa
Samoa: At a glance
How big is Samoa compared to United States? See an in-depth size comparison.