Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 0.9 years longer

In Sierra Leone, the average life expectancy is 59 years (57 years for men, 60 years for women) as of 2022. In Swaziland, that number is 60 years (58 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2022.

be 17.9 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 Swaziland, that number is 26.8% of people as of 2020.

be 89.7% more likely to be obese

In Sierra Leone, 8.7% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Swaziland, that number is 16.5% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 6.2 times more money

Sierra Leone has a GDP per capita of $1,700 as of 2023, while in Swaziland, the GDP per capita is $10,600 as of 2023.

be 11.9 times more likely to be unemployed

In Sierra Leone, 3.2% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Swaziland, that number is 37.6% as of 2023.

pay a 10.0% higher top tax rate

Sierra Leone has a top tax rate of 30.0% as of 2014. In Swaziland, the top tax rate is 33.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 81.9% more likely to be literate

In Sierra Leone, the literacy rate is 48.6% as of 2022. In Swaziland, it is 88.4% as of 2018.

be 46.0% 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 Swaziland, on the other hand, 39.6 children do as of 2022.

have 27.6% fewer children

In Sierra Leone, there are approximately 30.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Swaziland, there are 22.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 2.8 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 Swaziland, that number is 82% of people on average (94% in urban areas, and 79% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 4.6 times more likely to have internet access

In Sierra Leone, approximately 12.7% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Swaziland, about 59.0% do as of 2021.

be 10.3% 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 Swaziland, that number is 80% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 75% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 45.1% less on education

Sierra Leone spends 9.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Swaziland spends 5.0% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

spend 26.1% less on healthcare

Sierra Leone spends 8.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Swaziland, that number is 6.5% of GDP as of 2020.

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

Swaziland: At a glance

Swaziland is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 17,204 sq km. Autonomy for the Swazis of southern Africa was guaranteed by the British in the late 19th century; independence was granted in 1968. Student and labor unrest during the 1990s pressured King MSWATI III, Africa's last absolute monarch, to grudgingly allow political reform and greater democracy, although he has backslid on these promises in recent years. A constitution came into effect in 2006, but the legal status of political parties remains unclear. The African United Democratic Party tried unsuccessfully to register as an official political party in mid 2006. Talks over the constitution broke down between the government and progressive groups in 2007. Swaziland recently surpassed Botswana as the country with the world's highest known HIV/AIDS prevalence rate.
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How big is Swaziland compared to Sierra Leone? See an in-depth size comparison.

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