Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Sao Tome and Principe instead of Vietnam, you would:
Health
be 88.2% less likely to die by suicide
Vietnam has a suicide rate of 7.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Sao Tome and Principe, it is 0.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 4.8 years less
In Vietnam, the average life expectancy is 75 years (70 years for men, 79 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.
be 7.5 times more likely to be obese
In Vietnam, 2.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 17.9% of people as of 2024.
see 48.5% less spent on your healthcare
Vietnam spends $690 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Sao Tome and Principe spends $355 as of 2023.
have 58.1% fewer doctors per person
Vietnam has 11.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Sao Tome and Principe has 4.6 as of 2022.
have 13.2% less access to essential health services
Vietnam scores 68 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Sao Tome and Principe scores 59 as of 2021.
Economy
be 6.0 times more likely to be unemployed
In Vietnam, 1.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 9.1% as of 2025.
make 19.4% less money
Vietnam has a GDP per capita of $5,066 as of 2025, while in Sao Tome and Principe, the GDP per capita is $4,084 as of 2025.
Life
be 23.3% less likely to die during infancy
In Vietnam, approximately 12.0 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.
have 2.1 times more children
In Vietnam, there are approximately 13.4 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 56.2% more likely to die during childbirth
In Vietnam, approximately 48.0 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.
Basic Needs
be 18.5% less likely to have access to electricity
In Vietnam, 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 29.7% less likely to have internet access
In Vietnam, approximately 84.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, about 59.1% do as of 2024.
be 21.1% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Vietnam, approximately 99% of people have access to drinking water (99% in urban areas, and 98% 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 74.0% more on education
Vietnam spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Sao Tome and Principe spends 5.0% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 26.5% more on healthcare
Vietnam spends 4.6% 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 93.9% less coastline
Vietnam has a total of 3,444 km of coastline. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 209 km.
Safety
be 33.9% less likely to die in a road accident
In Vietnam, road accidents kill 17.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Sao Tome and Principe, they kill 11.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 2.1 times more likely to be murdered
Vietnam has a homicide rate of 1.5 per 100,000 people as of 2011. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 3.2 per 100,000 as of 2011.
Infrastructure
live with 89.6% less strain on fresh water
Vietnam withdraws 18% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Sao Tome and Principe withdraws 2% as of 2022.
find 87.4% less home broadband
Vietnam has 23.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Sao Tome and Principe has 3.0 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 85.2% less CO2
Vietnam emits 4.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Sao Tome and Principe emits 0.6 tonnes as of 2024.
be 63.5% more likely to die from air pollution
In Vietnam, air pollution causes 52.0 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 (2011–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Vietnam vs. Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: At a glance
How big is Sao Tome and Principe compared to Vietnam? See an in-depth size comparison.