Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Samoa instead of Guatemala, you would:

Health

live 2.3 years longer

In Guatemala, the average life expectancy is 73 years (71 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2022. In Samoa, that number is 75 years (72 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2022.

be 2.2 times more likely to be obese

In Guatemala, 21.2% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Samoa, that number is 47.3% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 63.1% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Guatemala, 59.3% live below the poverty line as of 2014. In Samoa, however, that number is 21.9% as of 2018.

make 52.8% less money

Guatemala has a GDP per capita of $12,700 as of 2023, while in Samoa, the GDP per capita is $6,000 as of 2023.

be 3.6 times more likely to be unemployed

In Guatemala, 2.7% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Samoa, that number is 9.8% as of 2023.

pay a 3.9 times higher top tax rate

Guatemala has a top tax rate of 7.0% as of 2016. In Samoa, the top tax rate is 27.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 38.5% less likely to die during childbirth

In Guatemala, approximately 96.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Samoa, 59.0 women do as of 2020.

be 19.0% more likely to be literate

In Guatemala, the literacy rate is 83.3% as of 2021. In Samoa, it is 99.1% as of 2021.

be 35.1% less likely to die during infancy

In Guatemala, approximately 26.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Samoa, on the other hand, 17.0 children do as of 2020.

have 12.1% fewer children

In Guatemala, there are approximately 21.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Samoa, there are 18.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 52.9% more likely to have internet access

In Guatemala, approximately 51.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Samoa, about 78.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 18.5% less on healthcare

Guatemala spends 6.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Samoa, that number is 5.3% of GDP as of 2020.

spend 54.8% more on education

Guatemala spends 3.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Samoa spends 4.8% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Superintendence of the Tax Administration, Ministry of Revenue, Samoa.

Samoa: At a glance

Samoa is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 2,821 sq km. New Zealand occupied the German protectorate of Western Samoa at the outbreak of World War I in 1914. It continued to administer the islands as a mandate and then as a trust territory until 1962, when the islands became the first Polynesian nation to reestablish independence in the 20th century. The country dropped the "Western" from its name in 1997.
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How big is Samoa compared to Guatemala? See an in-depth size comparison.

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