Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Equatorial Guinea instead of Sierra Leone, you would:

Health

live 4.9 years longer

In Sierra Leone, the average life expectancy is 59 years (57 years for men, 60 years for women) as of 2022. In Equatorial Guinea, that number is 64 years (61 years for men, 66 years for women) as of 2022.

be 4.9 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Sierra Leone, 1.5% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Equatorial Guinea, that number is 7.3% of people as of 2020.

Economy

make 9.9 times more money

Sierra Leone has a GDP per capita of $1,700 as of 2023, while in Equatorial Guinea, the GDP per capita is $16,900 as of 2023.

be 22.5% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Sierra Leone, 56.8% live below the poverty line as of 2018. In Equatorial Guinea, however, that number is 44.0% as of 2011.

be 2.7 times more likely to be unemployed

In Sierra Leone, 3.2% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Equatorial Guinea, that number is 8.7% as of 2023.

pay a 16.7% higher top tax rate

Sierra Leone has a top tax rate of 30.0% as of 2014. In Equatorial Guinea, the top tax rate is 35.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 52.1% less likely to die during childbirth

In Sierra Leone, approximately 443.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Equatorial Guinea, 212.0 women do as of 2020.

be 96.1% more likely to be literate

In Sierra Leone, the literacy rate is 48.6% as of 2022. In Equatorial Guinea, it is 95.3% as of 2015.

Basic Needs

be 2.3 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Sierra Leone, approximately 29% of people have electricity access (57% in urban areas, and 5% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Equatorial Guinea, that number is 67% of people on average (90% in urban areas, and 47% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 4.3 times more likely to have internet access

In Sierra Leone, approximately 12.7% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Equatorial Guinea, about 54.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 56.8% less on healthcare

Sierra Leone spends 8.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Equatorial Guinea, that number is 3.8% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 26.4% less coastline

Sierra Leone has a total of 402 km of coastline. In Equatorial Guinea, that number is 296 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance, National Revenue Authority.

Equatorial Guinea: At a glance

Equatorial Guinea is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 28,051 sq km. Equatorial Guinea gained independence in 1968 after 190 years of Spanish rule. This tiny country, composed of a mainland portion plus five inhabited islands, is one of the smallest on the African continent. President Teodoro Obiang NGUEMA MBASOGO has ruled the country since 1979 when he seized power in a coup. Although nominally a constitutional democracy since 1991, the 1996, 2002, and 2009 presidential elections - as well as the 1999, 2004, 2008, and 2013 legislative elections - were widely seen as flawed. The president exerts almost total control over the political system and has discouraged political opposition. Equatorial Guinea has experienced rapid economic growth due to the discovery of large offshore oil reserves, and in the last decade has become Sub-Saharan Africa's third largest oil exporter. Despite the country's economic windfall from oil production, resulting in a massive increase in government revenue in recent years, improvements in the population's living standards have been slow to develop.
Read more

How big is Equatorial Guinea compared to Sierra Leone? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

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