Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Tanzania instead of Rwanda, you would:

Health

live 4.3 years longer

In Rwanda, the average life expectancy is 66 years (64 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2022. In Tanzania, that number is 70 years (68 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2022.

be 88.0% more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Rwanda, 2.5% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Tanzania, that number is 4.7% of people as of 2020.

be 44.8% more likely to be obese

In Rwanda, 5.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Tanzania, that number is 8.4% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 82.8% less likely to be unemployed

In Rwanda, 15.1% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Tanzania, that number is 2.6% as of 2022.

be 30.9% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Rwanda, 38.2% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Tanzania, however, that number is 26.4% as of 2018.

Life

have 22.9% more children

In Rwanda, there are approximately 26.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Tanzania, there are 32.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 37.9% more likely to die during infancy

In Rwanda, approximately 26.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Tanzania, on the other hand, 36.4 children do as of 2020.

Basic Needs

be 12.3% less likely to have access to electricity

In Rwanda, approximately 49% of people have electricity access (98% in urban areas, and 38% in rural areas) as of 2021. In Tanzania, that number is 43% of people on average (77% in urban areas, and 23% in rural areas) as of 2021.

be 12.9% less likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Rwanda, approximately 83% of people have improved drinking water access (92% in urban areas, and 81% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Tanzania, that number is 72% of people on average (95% in urban areas, and 59% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 13.2% less on education

Rwanda spends 3.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Tanzania spends 3.3% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

spend 47.9% less on healthcare

Rwanda spends 7.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Tanzania, that number is 3.8% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Tanzania: At a glance

Tanzania is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 885,800 sq km. Shortly after achieving independence from Britain in the early 1960s, Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form the nation of Tanzania in 1964. One-party rule ended in 1995 with the first democratic elections held in the country since the 1970s. Zanzibar's semi-autonomous status and popular opposition led to two contentious elections since 1995, which the ruling party won despite international observers' claims of voting irregularities. The formation of a government of national unity between Zanzibar's two leading parties succeeded in minimizing electoral tension in 2010.
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How big is Tanzania compared to Rwanda? See an in-depth size comparison.

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