Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 86.7% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Sierra Leone, 1.5% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Niger, that number is 0.2% of people as of 2020.

live 1.3 years longer

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

be 36.8% less likely to be obese

In Sierra Leone, 8.7% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Niger, that number is 5.5% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 82.6% less likely to be unemployed

In Sierra Leone, 3.2% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Niger, that number is 0.6% as of 2023.

be 28.2% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Sierra Leone, 56.8% live below the poverty line as of 2018. In Niger, however, that number is 40.8% as of 2018.

Life

have 51.3% more children

In Sierra Leone, there are approximately 30.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Niger, there are 46.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 23.3% less likely to be literate

In Sierra Leone, the literacy rate is 48.6% as of 2022. In Niger, it is 37.3% as of 2018.

Basic Needs

be 73.2% more likely to have internet access

In Sierra Leone, approximately 12.7% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Niger, about 22.0% do as of 2021.

be 33.7% less 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 Niger, that number is 20% of people on average (66% in urban areas, and 9% in rural areas) as of 2022.

Expenditures

spend 58.2% less on education

Sierra Leone spends 9.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Niger spends 3.8% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 29.5% less on healthcare

Sierra Leone spends 8.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Niger, that number is 6.2% of GDP as of 2020.

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

Niger: At a glance

Niger is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 1,266,700 sq km. Niger became independent from France in 1960 and experienced single-party and military rule until 1991, when Gen. Ali SAIBOU was forced by public pressure to allow multiparty elections, which resulted in a democratic government in 1993. Political infighting brought the government to a standstill and in 1996 led to a coup by Col. Ibrahim BARE. In 1999, BARE was killed in a counter coup by military officers who restored democratic rule and held elections that brought Mamadou TANDJA to power in December of that year. TANDJA was reelected in 2004 and in 2009 spearheaded a constitutional amendment that would allow him to extend his term as president. In February 2010, a military coup deposed TANDJA, immediately suspended the constitution, and dissolved the Cabinet. ISSOUFOU Mahamadou emerged victorious from a crowded field in the election following the coup and was inaugurated in April 2011. Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world with minimal government services and insufficient funds to develop its resource base. The largely agrarian and subsistence-based economy is frequently disrupted by extended droughts common to the Sahel region of Africa. The Nigerien Movement for Justice, a predominantly ethnic Tuareg rebel group, emerged in February 2007, and attacked several military targets in Niger's northern region throughout 2007 and 2008. Successful government offensives in 2009 ended the rebellion. Niger is facing increased security concerns on its borders from various external threats including insecurity in Libya, spillover from the conflict in Mali, and violent extremism in northeastern Nigeria.
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