Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Guinea-Bissau instead of Benin, you would:

Health

live 1.5 years longer

In Benin, the average life expectancy is 62 years (60 years for men, 64 years for women) as of 2022. In Guinea-Bissau, that number is 64 years (61 years for men, 66 years for women) as of 2022.

be 3.3 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Benin, 0.9% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Guinea-Bissau, that number is 3.0% of people as of 2020.

Economy

make 36.8% less money

Benin has a GDP per capita of $3,800 as of 2023, while in Guinea-Bissau, the GDP per capita is $2,400 as of 2023.

be 2.2 times more likely to be unemployed

In Benin, 1.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Guinea-Bissau, that number is 3.2% as of 2023.

be 23.9% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Benin, 38.5% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In Guinea-Bissau, however, that number is 47.7% as of 2018.

Life

be 15.5% more likely to be literate

In Benin, the literacy rate is 45.8% as of 2021. In Guinea-Bissau, it is 52.9% as of 2021.

be 12.0% less likely to die during infancy

In Benin, approximately 55.8 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Guinea-Bissau, on the other hand, 49.0 children do as of 2022.

be 38.6% more likely to die during childbirth

In Benin, approximately 523.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Guinea-Bissau, 725.0 women do as of 2020.

Basic Needs

be 33.8% less likely to have access to electricity

In Benin, approximately 56% of people have electricity access (67% in urban areas, and 18% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Guinea-Bissau, that number is 37% of people on average (60% in urban areas, and 16% in rural areas) as of 2022.

Expenditures

spend 3.2 times more on healthcare

Benin spends 2.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Guinea-Bissau, that number is 8.4% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 2.9 times more coastline

Benin has a total of 121 km of coastline. In Guinea-Bissau, that number is 350 km.

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

Guinea-Bissau: At a glance

Guinea-Bissau is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 28,120 sq km. Since independence from Portugal in 1974, Guinea-Bissau has experienced considerable political and military upheaval. In 1980, a military coup established authoritarian dictator Joao Bernardo 'Nino' VIEIRA as president. Despite setting a path to a market economy and multiparty system, VIEIRA's regime was characterized by the suppression of political opposition and the purging of political rivals. Several coup attempts through the 1980s and early 1990s failed to unseat him. In 1994 VIEIRA was elected president in the country's first free elections. A military mutiny and resulting civil war in 1998 eventually led to VIEIRA's ouster in May 1999. In February 2000, a transitional government turned over power to opposition leader Kumba YALA after he was elected president in transparent polling. In September 2003, after only three years in office, YALA was overthrown in a bloodless military coup, and businessman Henrique ROSA was sworn in as interim president. In 2005, former President VIEIRA was re-elected president pledging to pursue economic development and national reconciliation; he was assassinated in March 2009. Malam Bacai SANHA was elected in an emergency election held in June 2009, but he passed away in January 2012 from an existing illness. A military coup in April 2012 prevented Guinea-Bissau's second-round presidential election - to determine SANHA's successor - from taking place.
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How big is Guinea-Bissau compared to Benin? See an in-depth size comparison.

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