Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 16.9% less likely to be obese

In Sao Tome and Principe, 12.4% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Gambia, that number is 10.3% of people as of 2016.

be 6.0 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 Gambia, that number is 1.8% of people as of 2020.

Economy

be 54.4% less likely to be unemployed

In Sao Tome and Principe, 14.2% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Gambia, that number is 6.5% as of 2023.

make 47.3% less money

Sao Tome and Principe has a GDP per capita of $5,500 as of 2023, while in Gambia, the GDP per capita is $2,900 as of 2023.

Life

be 16.2% 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 Gambia, on the other hand, 37.2 children do as of 2022.

be 3.1 times more 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 Gambia, 458.0 women do as of 2020.

be 38.7% less likely to be literate

In Sao Tome and Principe, the literacy rate is 94.8% as of 2021. In Gambia, it is 58.1% as of 2021.

Basic Needs

be 16.2% less 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 Gambia, that number is 65% of people on average (82% in urban areas, and 31% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 35.3% less likely to have internet access

In Sao Tome and Principe, approximately 51.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Gambia, about 33.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 44.0% less on education

Sao Tome and Principe spends 5.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Gambia spends 2.8% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 46.9% less on healthcare

Sao Tome and Principe spends 4.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Gambia, that number is 2.6% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 61.7% less coastline

Sao Tome and Principe has a total of 209 km of coastline. In Gambia, that number is 80 km.

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

Gambia: At a glance

Gambia is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 10,120 sq km. The Gambia gained its independence from the UK in 1965. Geographically surrounded by Senegal, it formed a short-lived federation of Senegambia between 1982 and 1989. In 1991 the two nations signed a friendship and cooperation treaty, but tensions have flared up intermittently since then. Yahya JAMMEH led a military coup in 1994 that overthrew the president and banned political activity. A new constitution and presidential elections in 1996, followed by parliamentary balloting in 1997, completed a nominal return to civilian rule. JAMMEH has been elected president in all subsequent elections including most recently in late 2011.
Read more

How big is Gambia compared to Sao Tome and Principe? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

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