Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 8.8 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 Belize, that number is 76 years (74 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2022.

be 4.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Sao Tome and Principe, 0.3% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Belize, that number is 1.2% of people as of 2020.

be 94.4% more likely to be obese

In Sao Tome and Principe, 12.4% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Belize, that number is 24.1% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 2.3 times more money

Sao Tome and Principe has a GDP per capita of $5,500 as of 2023, while in Belize, the GDP per capita is $12,800 as of 2023.

be 41.9% less likely to be unemployed

In Sao Tome and Principe, 14.2% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Belize, that number is 8.3% as of 2023.

be 26.1% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Sao Tome and Principe, 55.5% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Belize, however, that number is 41.0% as of 2013.

Life

be 74.9% 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 Belize, on the other hand, 11.2 children do as of 2022.

have 33.7% fewer children

In Sao Tome and Principe, there are approximately 26.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Belize, there are 17.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 26.4% more likely to have access to electricity

In Sao Tome and Principe, approximately 78% of people have electricity access (80% in urban areas, and 74% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Belize, that number is 99% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 97% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 21.6% more likely to have internet access

In Sao Tome and Principe, approximately 51.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Belize, about 62.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 74.0% more on education

Sao Tome and Principe spends 5.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Belize spends 8.7% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

spend 40.8% more on healthcare

Sao Tome and Principe spends 4.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Belize, that number is 6.9% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 84.7% more coastline

Sao Tome and Principe has a total of 209 km of coastline. In Belize, that number is 386 km.

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

Belize: At a glance

Belize is a sovereign country in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 22,806 sq km. Belize was the site of several Mayan city states until their decline at the end of the first millennium A.D. The British and Spanish disputed the region in the 17th and 18th centuries; it formally became the colony of British Honduras in 1854. Territorial disputes between the UK and Guatemala delayed the independence of Belize until 1981. Guatemala refused to recognize the new nation until 1992 and the two countries are involved in an ongoing border dispute. Tourism has become the mainstay of the economy. Current concerns include the country's heavy foreign debt burden, high unemployment, growing involvement in the Mexican and South American drug trade, high crime rates, and one of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in Central America.
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How big is Belize compared to Sao Tome and Principe? See an in-depth size comparison.

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