Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Equatorial Guinea instead of Lesotho, you would:

Health

be 65.4% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Lesotho, 21.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Equatorial Guinea, that number is 7.3% of people as of 2020.

live 4.1 years longer

In Lesotho, the average life expectancy is 60 years (58 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2022. In Equatorial Guinea, that number is 64 years (61 years for men, 66 years for women) as of 2022.

be 51.8% less likely to be obese

In Lesotho, 16.6% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Equatorial Guinea, that number is 8.0% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 6.8 times more money

Lesotho has a GDP per capita of $2,500 as of 2023, while in Equatorial Guinea, the GDP per capita is $16,900 as of 2023.

be 47.3% less likely to be unemployed

In Lesotho, 16.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Equatorial Guinea, that number is 8.7% as of 2023.

be 11.5% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Lesotho, 49.7% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Equatorial Guinea, however, that number is 44.0% as of 2011.

pay a 16.7% higher top tax rate

Lesotho has a top tax rate of 30.0% as of 2016. In Equatorial Guinea, the top tax rate is 35.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 62.5% less likely to die during childbirth

In Lesotho, approximately 566.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Equatorial Guinea, 212.0 women do as of 2020.

be 17.7% more likely to be literate

In Lesotho, the literacy rate is 81.0% as of 2021. In Equatorial Guinea, it is 95.3% as of 2015.

have 30.8% more children

In Lesotho, there are approximately 22.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Equatorial Guinea, there are 29.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022.

be 61.7% more likely to die during infancy

In Lesotho, approximately 48.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Equatorial Guinea, on the other hand, 78.3 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 34.0% more likely to have access to electricity

In Lesotho, approximately 50% of people have electricity access (81% in urban areas, and 38% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Equatorial Guinea, that number is 67% of people on average (90% in urban areas, and 47% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 12.5% more likely to have internet access

In Lesotho, approximately 48.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Equatorial Guinea, about 54.0% do as of 2021.

be 18.2% less likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Lesotho, approximately 83% of people have improved drinking water access (96% in urban areas, and 77% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Equatorial Guinea, that number is 68% of people on average (82% in urban areas, and 32% in rural areas) as of 2017.

Expenditures

spend 67.8% less on healthcare

Lesotho spends 11.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Equatorial Guinea, that number is 3.8% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance.

Equatorial Guinea: At a glance

Equatorial Guinea is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 28,051 sq km. Equatorial Guinea gained independence in 1968 after 190 years of Spanish rule. This tiny country, composed of a mainland portion plus five inhabited islands, is one of the smallest on the African continent. President Teodoro Obiang NGUEMA MBASOGO has ruled the country since 1979 when he seized power in a coup. Although nominally a constitutional democracy since 1991, the 1996, 2002, and 2009 presidential elections - as well as the 1999, 2004, 2008, and 2013 legislative elections - were widely seen as flawed. The president exerts almost total control over the political system and has discouraged political opposition. Equatorial Guinea has experienced rapid economic growth due to the discovery of large offshore oil reserves, and in the last decade has become Sub-Saharan Africa's third largest oil exporter. Despite the country's economic windfall from oil production, resulting in a massive increase in government revenue in recent years, improvements in the population's living standards have been slow to develop.
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How big is Equatorial Guinea compared to Lesotho? See an in-depth size comparison.

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