Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Tajikistan instead of Turkmenistan, you would:

Health

be 23.7% less likely to be obese

In Turkmenistan, 18.6% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Tajikistan, that number is 14.2% of people as of 2016.

live 2.5 years less

In Turkmenistan, the average life expectancy is 72 years (69 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2022. In Tajikistan, that number is 69 years (66 years for men, 73 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 68.7% less money

Turkmenistan has a GDP per capita of $14,700 as of 2022, while in Tajikistan, the GDP per capita is $4,600 as of 2023.

be 69.4% more likely to be unemployed

In Turkmenistan, 4.1% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Tajikistan, that number is 7.0% as of 2023.

be 112.5 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In Turkmenistan, 0.2% live below the poverty line as of 2012. In Tajikistan, however, that number is 22.5% as of 2022.

Life

be 14.1% less likely to die during infancy

In Turkmenistan, approximately 37.6 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Tajikistan, on the other hand, 32.3 children do as of 2022.

have 53.6% more children

In Turkmenistan, there are approximately 16.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Tajikistan, there are 25.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 3.4 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Turkmenistan, approximately 5.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Tajikistan, 17.0 women do as of 2020.

Basic Needs

be 20.2% more likely to have internet access

In Turkmenistan, approximately 25.3% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Tajikistan, about 30.4% do as of 2022.

be 15.6% less likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Turkmenistan, approximately 100% of people have improved drinking water access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Tajikistan, that number is 84% of people on average (96% in urban areas, and 80% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 90.3% more on education

Turkmenistan spends 3.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. Tajikistan spends 5.9% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 43.9% more on healthcare

Turkmenistan spends 5.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Tajikistan, that number is 8.2% of GDP as of 2020.

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

Tajikistan: At a glance

Tajikistan is a sovereign country in Central Asia, with a total land area of approximately 141,510 sq km. The Tajik people came under Russian rule in the 1860s and 1870s, but Russia's hold on Central Asia weakened following the Revolution of 1917. Bands of indigenous guerrillas (called "basmachi") fiercely contested Bolshevik control of the area, which was not fully reestablished until 1925. Tajikistan was first created as an autonomous republic within Uzbekistan in 1924, but the USSR designated Tajikistan a separate republic in 1929 and transferred to it much of present-day Sughd province. Ethnic Uzbeks form a substantial minority in Tajikistan. Tajikistan became independent in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union, and experienced a civil war between regional factions from 1992 to 1997. Tajikistan endured several domestic security incidents during 2010-12, including armed conflict between government forces and local strongmen in the Rasht Valley and between government forces and criminal groups in Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast. The country remains the poorest in the former Soviet sphere. Tajikistan became a member of the World Trade Organization in March 2013. However, its economy continues to face major challenges, including dependence on remittances from Tajikistanis working in Russia, pervasive corruption, and the major role narcotrafficking plays in the country's informal economy.
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How big is Tajikistan compared to Turkmenistan? See an in-depth size comparison.

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