Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Belize instead of Somalia, you would:

Health

live 20.1 years longer

In Somalia, the average life expectancy is 56 years (53 years for men, 58 years for women) as of 2022. In Belize, that number is 76 years (74 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2022.

be 12.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Somalia, 0.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Belize, that number is 1.2% of people as of 2020.

be 2.9 times more likely to be obese

In Somalia, 8.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Belize, that number is 24.1% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 8.5 times more money

Somalia has a GDP per capita of $1,500 as of 2023, while in Belize, the GDP per capita is $12,800 as of 2023.

be 56.6% less likely to be unemployed

In Somalia, 19.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Belize, that number is 8.3% as of 2023.

be 24.6% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Somalia, 54.4% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Belize, however, that number is 41.0% as of 2013.

Life

be 79.1% less likely to die during childbirth

In Somalia, approximately 621.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Belize, 130.0 women do as of 2020.

be 87.1% less likely to die during infancy

In Somalia, approximately 86.5 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Belize, on the other hand, 11.2 children do as of 2022.

have 52.7% fewer children

In Somalia, there are approximately 37.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Belize, there are 17.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 2.0 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Somalia, approximately 49% of people have electricity access (71% in urban areas, and 31% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Belize, that number is 99% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 97% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 4.3 times more likely to have internet access

In Somalia, approximately 14.5% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Belize, about 62.0% do as of 2021.

be 18.4% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Somalia, approximately 84% of people have improved drinking water access (96% in urban areas, and 74% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Belize, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 99% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 29.0 times more on education

Somalia spends 0.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. Belize spends 8.7% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

Geography

see 87.2% less coastline

Somalia has a total of 3,025 km of coastline. In Belize, that number is 386 km.

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

Belize: At a glance

Belize is a sovereign country in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 22,806 sq km. Belize was the site of several Mayan city states until their decline at the end of the first millennium A.D. The British and Spanish disputed the region in the 17th and 18th centuries; it formally became the colony of British Honduras in 1854. Territorial disputes between the UK and Guatemala delayed the independence of Belize until 1981. Guatemala refused to recognize the new nation until 1992 and the two countries are involved in an ongoing border dispute. Tourism has become the mainstay of the economy. Current concerns include the country's heavy foreign debt burden, high unemployment, growing involvement in the Mexican and South American drug trade, high crime rates, and one of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in Central America.
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How big is Belize compared to Somalia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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