Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 5.5 years longer

In Kenya, the average life expectancy is 70 years (68 years for men, 71 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 6.7 times more likely to be obese

In Kenya, 7.1% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Samoa, that number is 47.3% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 39.3% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Kenya, 36.1% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Samoa, however, that number is 21.9% as of 2018.

pay a 10.0% lower top tax rate

Kenya has a top tax rate of 30.0% as of 2016. In Samoa, the top tax rate is 27.0% as of 2016.

be 71.7% more likely to be unemployed

In Kenya, 5.7% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Samoa, that number is 9.8% as of 2023.

Life

be 88.9% less likely to die during childbirth

In Kenya, approximately 530.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Samoa, 59.0 women do as of 2020.

be 20.0% more likely to be literate

In Kenya, the literacy rate is 82.6% as of 2021. In Samoa, it is 99.1% as of 2021.

be 39.0% less likely to die during infancy

In Kenya, approximately 27.9 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 26.6% fewer children

In Kenya, there are approximately 25.6 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 29.3% more likely to have access to electricity

In Kenya, approximately 76% of people have electricity access (98% in urban areas, and 68% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Samoa, that number is 98% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 98% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 2.7 times more likely to have internet access

In Kenya, approximately 29.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Samoa, about 78.0% do as of 2021.

be 38.2% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Kenya, approximately 71% of people have improved drinking water access (91% in urban areas, and 63% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Samoa, that number is 98% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 98% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 23.3% more on healthcare

Kenya spends 4.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Samoa, that number is 5.3% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 24.8% less coastline

Kenya has a total of 536 km of coastline. In Samoa, that number is 403 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Revenue Authority, The World Factbook, 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 Kenya? See an in-depth size comparison.

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