Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Samoa instead of United States, you would:

Health

live 5.4 years less

In United States, the average life expectancy is 81 years (78 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2022. In Samoa, that number is 75 years (72 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2022.

be 30.7% more likely to be obese

In United States, 36.2% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Samoa, that number is 47.3% of people as of 2016.

Economy

pay a 31.8% lower top tax rate

United States has a top tax rate of 39.6% as of 2016. In Samoa, the top tax rate is 27.0% as of 2016.

make 91.8% less money

United States has a GDP per capita of $73,600 as of 2023, while in Samoa, the GDP per capita is $6,000 as of 2023.

be 2.7 times more likely to be unemployed

In United States, 3.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Samoa, that number is 9.8% as of 2023.

be 45.0% more likely to live below the poverty line

In United States, 15.1% live below the poverty line as of 2010. In Samoa, however, that number is 21.9% as of 2018.

Life

have 54.1% more children

In United States, there are approximately 12.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Samoa, there are 18.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 2.8 times more likely to die during childbirth

In United States, approximately 21.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Samoa, 59.0 women do as of 2020.

be 3.3 times more likely to die during infancy

In United States, approximately 5.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Samoa, on the other hand, 17.0 children do as of 2020.

Basic Needs

be 15.2% less likely to have internet access

In United States, approximately 92.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Samoa, about 78.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 21.3% less on education

United States spends 6.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Samoa spends 4.8% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 71.8% less on healthcare

United States spends 18.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Samoa, that number is 5.3% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 98.0% less coastline

United States has a total of 19,924 km of coastline. In Samoa, that number is 403 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Internal Revenue Service, Ministry of Revenue, Samoa.

Samoa: At a glance

Samoa is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 2,821 sq km. New Zealand occupied the German protectorate of Western Samoa at the outbreak of World War I in 1914. It continued to administer the islands as a mandate and then as a trust territory until 1962, when the islands became the first Polynesian nation to reestablish independence in the 20th century. The country dropped the "Western" from its name in 1997.
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How big is Samoa compared to United States? See an in-depth size comparison.

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