Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Swaziland instead of United States, you would:

Health

be 54.4% less likely to be obese

In United States, 36.2% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Swaziland, that number is 16.5% of people as of 2016.

live 20.9 years less

In United States, the average life expectancy is 81 years (78 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2022. In Swaziland, that number is 60 years (58 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

pay a 16.7% lower top tax rate

United States has a top tax rate of 39.6% as of 2016. In Swaziland, the top tax rate is 33.0% as of 2016.

make 86.0% less money

United States has a GDP per capita of $60,200 as of 2020, while in Swaziland, the GDP per capita is $8,400 as of 2020.

be 7.2 times more likely to be unemployed

In United States, 3.9% of adults are unemployed as of 2018. In Swaziland, that number is 28.0% as of 2014.

be 3.9 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In United States, 15.1% live below the poverty line as of 2010. In Swaziland, however, that number is 58.9% as of 2016.

Life

have 90.1% more children

In United States, there are approximately 12.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Swaziland, there are 23.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022.

be 23.0 times more likely to die during childbirth

In United States, approximately 19.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Swaziland, 437.0 women do as of 2017.

be 7.7 times more likely to die during infancy

In United States, approximately 5.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Swaziland, on the other hand, 39.6 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 10.0% less likely to have access to electricity

In United States, approximately 100% of the population has electricity access as of 2020. In Swaziland, 90% of the population do as of 2019.

be 48.4% less likely to have internet access

In United States, approximately 91.0% of the population has internet access as of 2020. In Swaziland, about 47.0% do as of 2019.

be 19.6% less likely to have access to improved drinking water

In United States, approximately 100% of people have improved drinking water access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Swaziland, that number is 80% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 75% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 59.5% less on healthcare

United States spends 16.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In Swaziland, that number is 6.8% of GDP as of 2019.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Swaziland Revenue Authority, The World Factbook, Internal Revenue Service.

Swaziland: At a glance

Swaziland is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 17,204 sq km. Autonomy for the Swazis of southern Africa was guaranteed by the British in the late 19th century; independence was granted in 1968. Student and labor unrest during the 1990s pressured King MSWATI III, Africa's last absolute monarch, to grudgingly allow political reform and greater democracy, although he has backslid on these promises in recent years. A constitution came into effect in 2006, but the legal status of political parties remains unclear. The African United Democratic Party tried unsuccessfully to register as an official political party in mid 2006. Talks over the constitution broke down between the government and progressive groups in 2007. Swaziland recently surpassed Botswana as the country with the world's highest known HIV/AIDS prevalence rate.
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How big is Swaziland compared to United States? See an in-depth size comparison.

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