Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Cyprus instead of Western Sahara, you would:

Health

live 15.2 years longer

In Western Sahara, the average life expectancy is 64 years (62 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2020. In Cyprus, that number is 80 years (77 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 20.2 times more money

Western Sahara has a GDP per capita of $2,500 as of 2007, while in Cyprus, the GDP per capita is $50,600 as of 2023.

Life

be 82.5% less likely to die during infancy

In Western Sahara, approximately 47.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2020. In Cyprus, on the other hand, 8.4 children do as of 2022.

have 63.6% fewer children

In Western Sahara, there are approximately 28.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2020. In Cyprus, there are 10.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Geography

see 41.6% less coastline

Western Sahara has a total of 1,110 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.
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How big is Cyprus compared to Western Sahara? See an in-depth size comparison.

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