Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Sao Tome and Principe instead of United States, you would:
Health
be 56.2% less likely to be obese
In United States, 41.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 17.9% of people as of 2024.
be 94.5% less likely to die by suicide
United States has a suicide rate of 15.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Sao Tome and Principe, it is 0.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 9.0 years less
In United States, the average life expectancy is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 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.
see 97.4% less spent on your healthcare
United States spends $13,473 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Sao Tome and Principe spends $355 as of 2023.
have 87.4% fewer doctors per person
United States has 36.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Sao Tome and Principe has 4.6 as of 2022.
have 31.4% less access to essential health services
United States scores 86 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Sao Tome and Principe scores 59 as of 2021.
Economy
be 2.2 times more likely to be unemployed
In United States, 4.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 9.1% as of 2025.
make 95.5% less money
United States has a GDP per capita of $90,027 as of 2025, while in Sao Tome and Principe, the GDP per capita is $4,084 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.6 times more children
In United States, there are approximately 10.6 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 4.4 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 Sao Tome and Principe, 75.0 women do as of 2023.
be 67.3% 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 Sao Tome and Principe, on the other hand, 9.2 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 18.7% less likely to have access to electricity
In United States, 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 37.6% less likely to have internet access
In United States, approximately 94.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, about 59.1% do as of 2024.
be 22.0% less likely to have access to drinking water
In United States, 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 65.4% less on healthcare
United States spends 16.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 5.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 99.0% less coastline
United States has a total of 19,924 km of coastline. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 209 km.
Safety
be 17.6% less likely to die in a road accident
In United States, road accidents kill 14.2 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 93.3% less strain on fresh water
United States withdraws 28% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Sao Tome and Principe withdraws 2% as of 2022.
find 92.3% less home broadband
United States has 38.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Sao Tome and Principe has 3.0 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 95.4% less CO2
United States emits 13.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Sao Tome and Principe emits 0.6 tonnes as of 2024.
be 6.1 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 Sao Tome and Principe, it causes 85.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: United States vs. Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: At a glance
How big is Sao Tome and Principe compared to United States? See an in-depth size comparison.