Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Swaziland instead of Gambia, you would:

Health

be 14.9 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Gambia, 1.8% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Swaziland, that number is 26.8% of people as of 2020.

live 7.9 years less

In Gambia, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2022. In Swaziland, that number is 60 years (58 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2022.

be 60.2% more likely to be obese

In Gambia, 10.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Swaziland, that number is 16.5% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 3.7 times more money

Gambia has a GDP per capita of $2,900 as of 2023, while in Swaziland, the GDP per capita is $10,600 as of 2023.

be 5.8 times more likely to be unemployed

In Gambia, 6.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Swaziland, that number is 37.6% as of 2023.

be 10.3% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Gambia, 53.4% live below the poverty line as of 2020. In Swaziland, however, that number is 58.9% as of 2016.

Life

be 52.2% more likely to be literate

In Gambia, the literacy rate is 58.1% as of 2021. In Swaziland, it is 88.4% as of 2018.

have 18.3% fewer children

In Gambia, there are approximately 27.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Swaziland, there are 22.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 25.8% more likely to have access to electricity

In Gambia, approximately 65% of people have electricity access (82% in urban areas, and 31% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Swaziland, that number is 82% of people on average (94% in urban areas, and 79% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 78.8% more likely to have internet access

In Gambia, approximately 33.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Swaziland, about 59.0% do as of 2021.

be 10.3% less likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Gambia, approximately 90% of people have improved drinking water access (92% in urban areas, and 86% 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 78.6% more on education

Gambia spends 2.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Swaziland spends 5.0% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

spend 2.5 times more on healthcare

Gambia spends 2.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Swaziland, that number is 6.5% of GDP as of 2020.

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

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 Gambia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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