Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 89.3 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Madagascar, 0.3% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Swaziland, that number is 26.8% of people as of 2020.

live 8.5 years less

In Madagascar, the average life expectancy is 68 years (67 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022. In Swaziland, that number is 60 years (58 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2022.

be 3.1 times more likely to be obese

In Madagascar, 5.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Swaziland, that number is 16.5% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 6.2 times more money

Madagascar has a GDP per capita of $1,700 as of 2023, while in Swaziland, the GDP per capita is $10,600 as of 2023.

be 16.7% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Madagascar, 70.7% live below the poverty line as of 2012. In Swaziland, however, that number is 58.9% as of 2016.

be 12.3 times more likely to be unemployed

In Madagascar, 3.1% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Swaziland, that number is 37.6% as of 2023.

pay a 65.0% higher top tax rate

Madagascar has a top tax rate of 20.0% as of 2016. In Swaziland, the top tax rate is 33.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 14.4% more likely to be literate

In Madagascar, the literacy rate is 77.3% as of 2021. In Swaziland, it is 88.4% as of 2018.

have 19.2% fewer children

In Madagascar, there are approximately 27.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Swaziland, there are 22.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 2.3 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Madagascar, approximately 36% of people have electricity access (73% in urban areas, and 11% 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 3.0 times more likely to have internet access

In Madagascar, approximately 20.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Swaziland, about 59.0% do as of 2021.

be 43.1% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Madagascar, approximately 56% of people have improved drinking water access (85% in urban areas, and 38% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Swaziland, that number is 80% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 75% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 61.3% more on education

Madagascar spends 3.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Swaziland spends 5.0% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

spend 66.7% more on healthcare

Madagascar spends 3.9% 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, General Direction of Taxes.

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 Madagascar? See an in-depth size comparison.

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