Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 27.0% more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Lesotho, 21.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Swaziland, that number is 26.8% of people as of 2020.

Economy

make 4.2 times more money

Lesotho has a GDP per capita of $2,500 as of 2023, while in Swaziland, the GDP per capita is $10,600 as of 2023.

be 2.3 times more likely to be unemployed

In Lesotho, 16.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Swaziland, that number is 37.6% as of 2023.

be 18.5% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Lesotho, 49.7% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Swaziland, however, that number is 58.9% as of 2016.

pay a 10.0% higher top tax rate

Lesotho has a top tax rate of 30.0% as of 2016. In Swaziland, the top tax rate is 33.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 22.8% less likely to die during childbirth

In Lesotho, approximately 566.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Swaziland, 437.0 women do as of 2017.

be 18.2% 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 Swaziland, on the other hand, 39.6 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 64.6% 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 Swaziland, that number is 82% of people on average (94% in urban areas, and 79% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 22.9% more likely to have internet access

In Lesotho, approximately 48.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Swaziland, about 59.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 42.5% less on education

Lesotho spends 8.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Swaziland spends 5.0% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

spend 44.9% less on healthcare

Lesotho spends 11.8% 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: Swaziland Revenue Authority, The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance.

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 Lesotho? See an in-depth size comparison.

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