Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in United Kingdom instead of Sierra Leone, you would:

Health

live 23.2 years longer

In Sierra Leone, the average life expectancy is 59 years (57 years for men, 60 years for women) as of 2022. In United Kingdom, that number is 82 years (80 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2022.

be 3.2 times more likely to be obese

In Sierra Leone, 8.7% of adults are obese as of 2016. In United Kingdom, that number is 27.8% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 31.8 times more money

Sierra Leone has a GDP per capita of $1,700 as of 2023, while in United Kingdom, the GDP per capita is $54,100 as of 2023.

be 67.3% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Sierra Leone, 56.8% live below the poverty line as of 2018. In United Kingdom, however, that number is 18.6% as of 2017.

be 28.1% more likely to be unemployed

In Sierra Leone, 3.2% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In United Kingdom, that number is 4.1% as of 2023.

pay a 50.0% higher top tax rate

Sierra Leone has a top tax rate of 30.0% as of 2014. In United Kingdom, the top tax rate is 45.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 97.7% less likely to die during childbirth

In Sierra Leone, approximately 443.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In United Kingdom, 10.0 women do as of 2020.

be 94.8% 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 United Kingdom, on the other hand, 3.8 children do as of 2022.

have 64.9% fewer children

In Sierra Leone, there are approximately 30.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United Kingdom, there are 10.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 3.4 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Sierra Leone, approximately 29% of the population has electricity access as of 2022. In United Kingdom, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

be 7.6 times more likely to have internet access

In Sierra Leone, approximately 12.7% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In United Kingdom, about 97.0% do as of 2021.

be 37.4% 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 United Kingdom, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 39.6% less on education

Sierra Leone spends 9.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. United Kingdom spends 5.5% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 36.4% more on healthcare

Sierra Leone spends 8.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In United Kingdom, that number is 12.0% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 30.9 times more coastline

Sierra Leone has a total of 402 km of coastline. In United Kingdom, that number is 12,429 km.

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

United Kingdom: At a glance

United Kingdom (sometimes abbreviated UK) is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 241,930 sq km. The United Kingdom has historically played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing literature and science. At its zenith in the 19th century, the British Empire stretched over one-fourth of the earth's surface. The first half of the 20th century saw the UK's strength seriously depleted in two world wars and the Irish Republic's withdrawal from the union. The second half witnessed the dismantling of the Empire and the UK rebuilding itself into a modern and prosperous European nation. As one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council and a founding member of NATO and the Commonwealth, the UK pursues a global approach to foreign policy. The UK is also an active member of the EU, although it chose to remain outside the Economic and Monetary Union. The Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the Northern Ireland Assembly were established in 1999. The latter was suspended until May 2007 due to wrangling over the peace process, but devolution was fully completed in March 2010.
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How big is United Kingdom compared to Sierra Leone? See an in-depth size comparison.

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