Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 5.1 years longer

In Sierra Leone, the average life expectancy is 59 years (57 years for men, 60 years for women) as of 2022. In Guinea, that number is 64 years (62 years for men, 66 years for women) as of 2022.

be 11.5% less likely to be obese

In Sierra Leone, 8.7% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Guinea, that number is 7.7% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 2.4 times more money

Sierra Leone has a GDP per capita of $1,700 as of 2023, while in Guinea, the GDP per capita is $4,000 as of 2023.

be 23.1% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Sierra Leone, 56.8% live below the poverty line as of 2018. In Guinea, however, that number is 43.7% as of 2018.

be 67.2% more likely to be unemployed

In Sierra Leone, 3.2% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Guinea, that number is 5.3% as of 2023.

pay a 33.3% higher top tax rate

Sierra Leone has a top tax rate of 30.0% as of 2014. In Guinea, the top tax rate is 40.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 32.4% less likely to die during infancy

In Sierra Leone, approximately 73.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Guinea, on the other hand, 49.6 children do as of 2022.

have 14.6% more children

In Sierra Leone, there are approximately 30.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Guinea, there are 35.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 24.8% more likely to die during childbirth

In Sierra Leone, approximately 443.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Guinea, 553.0 women do as of 2020.

Basic Needs

be 62.2% 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 Guinea, that number is 48% of people on average (90% in urban areas, and 21% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 2.8 times more likely to have internet access

In Sierra Leone, approximately 12.7% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Guinea, about 35.0% do as of 2021.

be 17.0% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Sierra Leone, approximately 73% of people have improved drinking water access (92% in urban areas, and 58% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Guinea, that number is 85% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 77% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 75.8% less on education

Sierra Leone spends 9.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Guinea spends 2.2% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 54.5% less on healthcare

Sierra Leone spends 8.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Guinea, that number is 4.0% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 20.4% less coastline

Sierra Leone has a total of 402 km of coastline. In Guinea, that number is 320 km.

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

Guinea: At a glance

Guinea is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 245,717 sq km. Guinea is at a turning point after decades of authoritarian rule since gaining its independence from France in 1958. Guinea held its first free and competitive democratic presidential and legislative elections in 2010 and 2013 respectively. Alpha CONDE was elected to a five year term as president in 2010, and the National Assembly was seated in January 2014. CONDE's cabinet is the first all-civilian government in Guinea. Previously, Sekou TOURE ruled the country as president from independence to his death in 1984. Lansana CONTE came to power in 1984 when the military seized the government after TOURE's death. Gen. CONTE organized and won presidential elections in 1993, 1998, and 2003, though all the polls were rigged. Upon CONTE's death in December 2008, Capt. Moussa Dadis CAMARA led a military coup, seizing power and suspending the constitution. His unwillingness to yield to domestic and international pressure to step down led to heightened political tensions that culminated in September 2009 when presidential guards opened fire on an opposition rally killing more than 150 people, and in early December 2009 when CAMARA was wounded in an assassination attempt and exiled to Burkina Faso. A transitional government led by Gen. Sekouba KONATE paved the way for Guinea's transition to a fledgling democracy.
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How big is Guinea compared to Sierra Leone? See an in-depth size comparison.

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