Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 24.0 years longer

In Somalia, the average life expectancy is 56 years (53 years for men, 58 years for women) as of 2022. In Cyprus, that number is 80 years (77 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2022.

be 2.6 times more likely to be obese

In Somalia, 8.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Cyprus, that number is 21.8% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 33.7 times more money

Somalia has a GDP per capita of $1,500 as of 2023, while in Cyprus, the GDP per capita is $50,600 as of 2023.

be 68.7% less likely to be unemployed

In Somalia, 19.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Cyprus, that number is 6.0% as of 2023.

be 74.4% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Somalia, 54.4% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Cyprus, however, that number is 13.9% as of 2021.

Life

be 89.0% less likely to die during childbirth

In Somalia, approximately 621.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Cyprus, 68.0 women do as of 2020.

be 90.3% 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 Cyprus, on the other hand, 8.4 children do as of 2022.

have 72.7% fewer children

In Somalia, there are approximately 37.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Cyprus, there are 10.2 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 the population has electricity access as of 2022. In Cyprus, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

be 6.3 times more likely to have internet access

In Somalia, approximately 14.5% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Cyprus, about 91.0% do as of 2021.

be 18.5% 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 Cyprus, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 20.3 times more on education

Somalia spends 0.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. Cyprus spends 6.1% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

Geography

see 78.6% less coastline

Somalia has a total of 3,025 km of coastline. In Cyprus, that number is 648 km.

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

Cyprus: At a glance

Cyprus is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 9,241 sq km. A former British colony, Cyprus became independent in 1960 following years of resistance to British rule. Tensions between the Greek Cypriot majority and Turkish Cypriot minority came to a head in December 1963, when violence broke out in the capital of Nicosia. Despite the deployment of UN peacekeepers in 1964, sporadic intercommunal violence continued forcing most Turkish Cypriots into enclaves throughout the island. In 1974, a Greek Government-sponsored attempt to overthrow the elected president of Cyprus was met by military intervention from Turkey, which soon controlled more than a third of the island. In 1983, the Turkish Cypriot-occupied area declared itself the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" ("TRNC"), but it is recognized only by Turkey. In February 2014, after a hiatus of nearly two years, the leaders of the two communities resumed formal discussions under UN auspices aimed at reuniting the divided island. The talks are ongoing. The entire island entered the EU on 1 May 2004, although the EU acquis - the body of common rights and obligations - applies only to the areas under the internationally recognized government, and is suspended in the areas administered by Turkish Cypriots. However, individual Turkish Cypriots able to document their eligibility for Republic of Cyprus citizenship legally enjoy the same rights accorded to other citizens of European Union states.
Read more

How big is Cyprus compared to Somalia? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Cyprus.or Somalia It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.