Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 10.5 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 Tonga, that number is 78 years (76 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2022.

be 3.9 times more likely to be obese

In Sao Tome and Principe, 12.4% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Tonga, that number is 48.2% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 20.0% more money

Sao Tome and Principe has a GDP per capita of $5,500 as of 2023, while in Tonga, the GDP per capita is $6,600 as of 2022.

be 83.8% less likely to be unemployed

In Sao Tome and Principe, 14.2% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Tonga, that number is 2.3% as of 2023.

be 62.9% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Sao Tome and Principe, 55.5% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Tonga, however, that number is 20.6% as of 2021.

Life

be 72.0% 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 Tonga, on the other hand, 12.4 children do as of 2022.

have 26.2% fewer children

In Sao Tome and Principe, there are approximately 26.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Tonga, there are 19.7 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 people have electricity access (80% in urban areas, and 74% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Tonga, that number is 100% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 99% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 31.4% more likely to have internet access

In Sao Tome and Principe, approximately 51.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Tonga, about 67.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 32.0% more on education

Sao Tome and Principe spends 5.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Tonga spends 6.6% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

Geography

see 2.0 times more coastline

Sao Tome and Principe has a total of 209 km of coastline. In Tonga, that number is 419 km.

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

Tonga: At a glance

Tonga is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 717 sq km. Tonga - unique among Pacific nations - never completely lost its indigenous governance. The archipelagos of "The Friendly Islands" were united into a Polynesian kingdom in 1845. Tonga became a constitutional monarchy in 1875 and a British protectorate in 1900; it withdrew from the protectorate and joined the Commonwealth of Nations in 1970. Tonga remains the only monarchy in the Pacific.
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How big is Tonga compared to Sao Tome and Principe? See an in-depth size comparison.

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