Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Sao Tome and Principe instead of Zambia, you would:
Health
live 3.4 years longer
In Zambia, the average life expectancy is 67 years (64 years for men, 69 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 45.7% more spent on your healthcare
Zambia spends $244 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Sao Tome and Principe spends $355 as of 2023.
have 43.2% more doctors per person
Zambia has 3.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Sao Tome and Principe has 4.6 as of 2022.
be 87.9% less likely to die by suicide
Zambia has a suicide rate of 7.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Sao Tome and Principe, it is 0.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 54.7% more likely to be obese
In Zambia, 11.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 17.9% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 3.1 times more money
Zambia has a GDP per capita of $1,318 as of 2025, while in Sao Tome and Principe, the GDP per capita is $4,084 as of 2025.
be 54.2% more likely to be unemployed
In Zambia, 5.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 9.1% as of 2025.
Life
be 32.1% more likely to be literate
In Zambia, the literacy rate is 71.8% as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, it is 94.8% as of 2021.
be 73.4% less likely to die during infancy
In Zambia, approximately 34.6 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 14.2% fewer children
In Zambia, there are approximately 32.7 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.
Basic Needs
be 59.1% more likely to have access to electricity
In Zambia, approximately 51% of people have electricity access (90% in urban areas, and 18% 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 3.5 times more likely to have internet access
In Zambia, approximately 17.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, about 59.1% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 23.6% more on education
Zambia spends 4.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Sao Tome and Principe spends 5.0% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Safety
be 31.6% less likely to die in a road accident
In Zambia, road accidents kill 17.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Sao Tome and Principe, they kill 11.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 3.8 times more home broadband
Zambia has 0.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Sao Tome and Principe has 3.0 as of 2024.
live with 33.8% less strain on fresh water
Zambia withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Sao Tome and Principe withdraws 2% as of 2022.
Environment
be 70.0% more likely to die from air pollution
In Zambia, air pollution causes 50.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Sao Tome and Principe, it causes 85.0 as of 2019.
emit 16.7% more CO2
Zambia emits 0.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Sao Tome and Principe emits 0.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Zambia vs. Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: At a glance
How big is Sao Tome and Principe compared to Zambia? See an in-depth size comparison.