Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 11.2 years longer

In Western Sahara, the average life expectancy is 64 years (62 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2020. In Romania, that number is 76 years (72 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 16.2 times more money

Western Sahara has a GDP per capita of $2,500 as of 2007, while in Romania, the GDP per capita is $40,500 as of 2023.

Life

be 87.8% 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 Romania, on the other hand, 5.8 children do as of 2022.

have 69.6% fewer children

In Western Sahara, there are approximately 28.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2020. In Romania, there are 8.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Geography

see 79.7% less coastline

Western Sahara has a total of 1,110 km of coastline. In Romania, that number is 225 km.

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

Romania: At a glance

Romania is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 229,891 sq km. The principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia - for centuries under the suzerainty of the Turkish Ottoman Empire - secured their autonomy in 1856; they were de facto linked in 1859 and formally united in 1862 under the new name of Romania. The country gained recognition of its independence in 1878. It joined the Allied Powers in World War I and acquired new territories - most notably Transylvania - following the conflict. In 1940, Romania allied with the Axis powers and participated in the 1941 German invasion of the USSR. Three years later, overrun by the Soviets, Romania signed an armistice. The post-war Soviet occupation led to the formation of a communist "people's republic" in 1947 and the abdication of the king. The decades-long rule of dictator Nicolae CEAUSESCU, who took power in 1965, and his Securitate police state became increasingly oppressive and draconian through the 1980s. CEAUSESCU was overthrown and executed in late 1989. Former communists dominated the government until 1996 when they were swept from power. Romania joined NATO in 2004 and the EU in 2007.
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How big is Romania compared to Western Sahara? See an in-depth size comparison.

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