Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 65.1% less likely to be obese

In Samoa, 47.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Swaziland, that number is 16.5% of people as of 2016.

live 15.5 years less

In Samoa, the average life expectancy is 75 years (72 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2022. In Swaziland, that number is 60 years (58 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 76.7% more money

Samoa has a GDP per capita of $6,000 as of 2023, while in Swaziland, the GDP per capita is $10,600 as of 2023.

be 3.9 times more likely to be unemployed

In Samoa, 9.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Swaziland, that number is 37.6% as of 2023.

be 2.7 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In Samoa, 21.9% live below the poverty line as of 2018. In Swaziland, however, that number is 58.9% as of 2016.

pay a 22.2% higher top tax rate

Samoa has a top tax rate of 27.0% as of 2016. In Swaziland, the top tax rate is 33.0% as of 2016.

Life

have 18.6% more children

In Samoa, there are approximately 18.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Swaziland, there are 22.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 7.4 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Samoa, approximately 59.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Swaziland, 437.0 women do as of 2017.

be 10.8% less likely to be literate

In Samoa, the literacy rate is 99.1% as of 2021. In Swaziland, it is 88.4% as of 2018.

be 2.3 times more likely to die during infancy

In Samoa, approximately 17.0 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2020. In Swaziland, on the other hand, 39.6 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 16.3% less likely to have access to electricity

In Samoa, approximately 98% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 98% 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 24.4% less likely to have internet access

In Samoa, approximately 78.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Swaziland, about 59.0% do as of 2021.

be 18.4% less likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Samoa, approximately 98% of people have improved drinking water access (100% in urban areas, and 98% 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 22.6% more on healthcare

Samoa spends 5.3% 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 Revenue, Samoa.

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.
Read more

How big is Swaziland compared to Samoa? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Swaziland.or Samoa It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.