Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Belgium instead of Sao Tome and Principe, you would:

Health

live 14.8 years longer

In Sao Tome and Principe, the average life expectancy is 67 years (65 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2022. In Belgium, that number is 82 years (79 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022.

be 78.2% more likely to be obese

In Sao Tome and Principe, 12.4% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Belgium, that number is 22.1% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 11.6 times more money

Sao Tome and Principe has a GDP per capita of $5,500 as of 2023, while in Belgium, the GDP per capita is $63,600 as of 2023.

be 61.2% less likely to be unemployed

In Sao Tome and Principe, 14.2% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Belgium, that number is 5.5% as of 2023.

be 77.8% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Sao Tome and Principe, 55.5% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Belgium, however, that number is 12.3% as of 2022.

Life

be 96.6% less likely to die during childbirth

In Sao Tome and Principe, approximately 146.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Belgium, 5.0 women do as of 2020.

be 92.8% less likely to die during infancy

In Sao Tome and Principe, approximately 44.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Belgium, on the other hand, 3.2 children do as of 2022.

have 59.6% fewer children

In Sao Tome and Principe, there are approximately 26.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Belgium, there are 10.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 28.2% more likely to have access to electricity

In Sao Tome and Principe, approximately 78% of the population has electricity access as of 2022. In Belgium, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

be 78.4% more likely to have internet access

In Sao Tome and Principe, approximately 51.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Belgium, about 91.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 34.0% more on education

Sao Tome and Principe spends 5.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Belgium spends 6.7% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 2.3 times more on healthcare

Sao Tome and Principe spends 4.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Belgium, that number is 11.1% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 68.2% less coastline

Sao Tome and Principe has a total of 209 km of coastline. In Belgium, that number is 66 km.

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

Belgium: At a glance

Belgium is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 30,278 sq km. Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830; it was occupied by Germany during World Wars I and II. The country prospered in the past half century as a modern, technologically advanced European state and member of NATO and the EU. Political divisions between the Dutch-speaking Flemings of the north and the French-speaking Walloons of the south have led in recent years to constitutional amendments granting these regions formal recognition and autonomy. Its capital, Brussels, is home to numerous international organizations including the EU and NATO.
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How big is Belgium compared to Sao Tome and Principe? See an in-depth size comparison.

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