Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Kiribati instead of Lesotho, you would:

Health

live 8.3 years longer

In Lesotho, the average life expectancy is 60 years (58 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2022. In Kiribati, that number is 68 years (65 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2022.

be 2.8 times more likely to be obese

In Lesotho, 16.6% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Kiribati, that number is 46.0% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 28.0% more money

Lesotho has a GDP per capita of $2,500 as of 2023, while in Kiribati, the GDP per capita is $3,200 as of 2023.

be 55.9% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Lesotho, 49.7% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Kiribati, however, that number is 21.9% as of 2020.

be 85.9% more likely to be unemployed

In Lesotho, 16.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Kiribati, that number is 30.6% as of 2010.

Life

be 86.6% less likely to die during childbirth

In Lesotho, approximately 566.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Kiribati, 76.0 women do as of 2020.

be 32.0% less 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 Kiribati, on the other hand, 32.9 children do as of 2022.

have 14.0% fewer children

In Lesotho, there are approximately 22.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Kiribati, there are 19.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 88.8% 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 Kiribati, that number is 94% of people on average (88% in urban areas, and 94% 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 Kiribati, about 54.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 42.5% more on education

Lesotho spends 8.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Kiribati spends 12.4% of total GDP on education as of 2019.

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

Kiribati: At a glance

Kiribati is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 811 sq km. The Gilbert Islands became a British protectorate in 1892 and a colony in 1915; they were captured by the Japanese in the Pacific War in 1941. The islands of Makin and Tarawa were the sites of major US amphibious victories over entrenched Japanese garrisons in 1943. The Gilbert Islands were granted self-rule by the UK in 1971 and complete independence in 1979 under the new name of Kiribati. The US relinquished all claims to the sparsely inhabited Phoenix and Line Island groups in a 1979 treaty of friendship with Kiribati.
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How big is Kiribati compared to Lesotho? See an in-depth size comparison.

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