Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 14.5 years longer

In Somalia, the average life expectancy is 56 years (53 years for men, 58 years for women) as of 2022. In Tanzania, that number is 70 years (68 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2022.

be 47.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Somalia, 0.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Tanzania, that number is 4.7% of people as of 2020.

Economy

make 85.7% more money

Somalia has a GDP per capita of $1,400 as of 2022, while in Tanzania, the GDP per capita is $2,600 as of 2022.

be 86.5% less likely to be unemployed

In Somalia, 19.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Tanzania, that number is 2.6% as of 2022.

be 51.5% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Somalia, 54.4% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Tanzania, however, that number is 26.4% as of 2018.

Life

be 61.7% less likely to die during childbirth

In Somalia, approximately 621.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Tanzania, 238.0 women do as of 2020.

be 57.9% 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 Tanzania, on the other hand, 36.4 children do as of 2020.

have 13.1% fewer children

In Somalia, there are approximately 37.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Tanzania, there are 32.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 2.2 times more likely to have internet access

In Somalia, approximately 14.5% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Tanzania, about 32.0% do as of 2021.

be 13.4% less 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 2021. In Tanzania, that number is 43% of people on average (77% in urban areas, and 23% in rural areas) as of 2021.

be 14.5% less 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 Tanzania, that number is 72% of people on average (95% in urban areas, and 59% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 11.0 times more on education

Somalia spends 0.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. Tanzania spends 3.3% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

Geography

see 52.9% less coastline

Somalia has a total of 3,025 km of coastline. In Tanzania, that number is 1,424 km.

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

Tanzania: At a glance

Tanzania is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 885,800 sq km. Shortly after achieving independence from Britain in the early 1960s, Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form the nation of Tanzania in 1964. One-party rule ended in 1995 with the first democratic elections held in the country since the 1970s. Zanzibar's semi-autonomous status and popular opposition led to two contentious elections since 1995, which the ruling party won despite international observers' claims of voting irregularities. The formation of a government of national unity between Zanzibar's two leading parties succeeded in minimizing electoral tension in 2010.
Read more

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

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

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