Country profile · Sub-Saharan Africa

🇸🇨 Seychelles

High income. Capital Victoria. Full World Bank, WHO, ILO & OECD indicator profile across 36 measures, with regional peers and rankings.

121.4K
Population
$2.2 billion
GDP
$18,365
GDP / capita
76.3 years
Life expectancy
Sub-Saharan Africa High income Capital: Victoria

The verdict

Seychelles ranks 188th of 217 by total GDP and 97th for life expectancy - a high income economy in Sub-Saharan Africa.

#188
World GDP rank (of 217)
$18,365
GDP per capita
#97
Life-expectancy rank
#188
Population rank

Ranks are computed across the 217 countries with data for each indicator; see the full tables and sources below.

Seychelles on the global income map

Seychelles (SYC) plotted alongside its largest economic peers on GDP per capita and the Human Development Index. Bubble area scales with population; color encodes income tier; gold rings mark OECD members.

Seychelles on the global income map Seychelles positioned on the GDP-per-capita / HDI plane against its largest economic peers. 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 $200 $1K $10K $100K GDP per capita (USD, log scale) Human Development Index (0–1) India - GDP/cap $2,695 · lower-middle income IND China - GDP/cap $13,303 · upper-middle income CHN United States - GDP/cap $84,534 · high income · OECD USA Indonesia - GDP/cap $4,925 · upper-middle income IDN Pakistan - GDP/cap $1,479 · lower-middle income Nigeria - GDP/cap $1,084 · low income Brazil - GDP/cap $10,311 · upper-middle income Bangladesh - GDP/cap $2,593 · lower-middle income Russian Federation - GDP/cap $14,889 · high income Ethiopia - GDP/cap $1,134 · low income Mexico - GDP/cap $14,186 · high income · OECD Japan - GDP/cap $32,487 · high income · OECD Egypt, Arab Rep. - GDP/cap $3,338 · lower-middle income Philippines - GDP/cap $3,985 · lower-middle income Congo, Dem. Rep. - GDP/cap $693 · low income Viet Nam - GDP/cap $4,717 · upper-middle income Iran, Islamic Rep. - GDP/cap $5,190 · upper-middle income Turkiye - GDP/cap $15,893 · high income · OECD Germany - GDP/cap $56,104 · high income · OECD Thailand - GDP/cap $7,387 · upper-middle income United Kingdom - GDP/cap $53,246 · high income · OECD Tanzania - GDP/cap $1,193 · lower-middle income France - GDP/cap $46,103 · high income · OECD South Africa - GDP/cap $6,267 · upper-middle income Italy - GDP/cap $40,385 · high income · OECD Kenya - GDP/cap $2,133 · lower-middle income Myanmar - GDP/cap $1,359 · lower-middle income Colombia - GDP/cap $7,951 · upper-middle income · OECD Korea, Rep. - GDP/cap $36,239 · high income · OECD Sudan - GDP/cap $985 · low income Seychelles - GDP/cap $18,365 · high income Income tier Low Lower-middle Upper-middle High OECD member

Indicators tracked

36

Across 8 topic areas

GDP per capita

$18,365

Latest WB report

Population

121.4K

UN estimate

OECD member

No

Outside OECD harmonized stats

Population
121.4K
GDP
$2.2 billion
GDP per Capita
$18,365
Life Expectancy
76.3 years

Overview

Seychelles has a population of 121.4K, making it the 188th-most populous country out of 217 tracked in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Its economy totals $2.2 billion - ranked 188th globally by total GDP. GDP per capita stands at $18,365, placing it in the High income category.

Life expectancy at birth is 76.3 years (ranked 97th globally), reflecting overall health outcomes as measured by the World Bank.

The capital is Victoria.

👥 Demographics

Population
121.4K
2024
Population Ages 0-14
20.0%
2024
Population Ages 65+
8.5%
2024
Population Density
260.4/km²
2023
Urban Population
45.3%
2024

💰 Economy

Foreign Direct Investment
$226.1 million
2024
GDP (Current USD)
$2.2 billion
2024
GDP Growth Rate
3.3%
2024
GDP Per Capita (Current USD)
$18,364.526
2024
Government Debt (% of GDP)
174.7%
2008
Inflation (Consumer Prices)
0.3%
2024
Trade (% of GDP)
175.9%
2024

🏥 Health

Health Expenditure (% of GDP)
4.5%
2023
Infant Mortality Rate
12.9 per 1,000
2024
Life Expectancy at Birth
76.3 years
2024
Maternal Mortality Ratio
42
2023
Physicians (per 1,000 people)
6.6 per 1,000
2022
Stunting Prevalence (under 5)
7.9
2012
Under-5 Mortality Rate
14.0 per 1,000
2024

📚 Education

Education Expenditure (% of GDP)
4.5%
2023
Literacy Rate (Adult)
93.9
2010
School Enrollment (Primary)
93.4
2024
School Enrollment (Secondary)
70.8
2024
School Enrollment (Tertiary)
14.5
2024
Youth Literacy Rate
99.0
2010

🌍 Environment

CO2 Emissions Per Capita
7.2
2024
Forest Area
73.3
2023
Renewable Energy Consumption
1.9%
2022

🏗️ Infrastructure

Access to Clean Water
64.7%
2024
Access to Electricity
100.0%
2023
Internet Users
87.8%
2024
Mobile Subscriptions
125.6
2024

⚖️ Social

GINI Index
32.1
2018
Intentional Homicides
8.0
2022
Net Migration
1.7K
2024
Poverty (< $2.15/day)
0.7%
2018

🫀 Disease Burden

Key causes of death and disease risk in Seychelles. Source: WHO Global Health Observatory.

NCD Death Rate
494
per 100K · 2021
Premature NCD Risk
15.6%
dying 30–70 from NCD
Road Traffic Deaths
6.6
per 100K
Suicide Rate
26.3
per 100K
Maternal Mortality
42
per 100K births

Sources: WHO Global Health Observatory. NCD mortality rate: 2021. Rates are age-standardized per 100,000 population. Premature NCD risk covers cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory disease.

Compare Seychelles with Another Country

What the data says about Seychelles

Seychelles sits in the high-income bracket but outside the OECD's harmonized reporting network, so its statistics come straight from the World Bank, WHO, and ILO source series rather than a jointly reconciled OECD dataset - still official, but with less cross-checking between agencies than an OECD member gets. Because output and income figures are converted at market exchange rates into current dollars, they can swing with currency movements independent of any real change in living standards, and for a small economy like this one that swing shows up more visibly in the headline numbers than it would for a larger country. The fuller picture comes from comparing Seychelles against income-tier peers of a similar size.

Seychelles sits in Sub-Saharan Africa with a population of 121.4K, placing it 188th out of 217 countries by headcount. Its capital, Victoria, anchors a High income economy with total GDP of $2.2 billion - ranked 188th globally, and GDP per capita of $18,365. This combination of demographic scale and economic output shapes everything from household purchasing power and domestic market depth to the country's weight in regional trade flows and international development programmes.

Life expectancy at birth in Seychelles is 76.3 years, ranking 97th worldwide and offering a summary read on healthcare access, nutrition, sanitation, and long-run living standards. The World Bank's World Development Indicators, combined with the WHO Global Health Observatory and ILO ILOSTAT wage statistics, expose 36 data points across 7 thematic areas, from fertility and urbanisation to CO₂ emissions, school enrolment, and labour-force participation. Reading these indicators together, rather than in isolation, is what turns headline numbers into a grounded portrait of how people actually live.

Use the indicator tables below to track trajectories over time, jump to Seychelles's placement on specific rankings such as GDP, population density, or life expectancy, and open the side-by-side Compare view to benchmark against peers inside Sub-Saharan Africa or across income groups. Because all figures come from official, CC BY 4.0-licensed datasets with clear vintages, you can cite them directly in research or journalism. Where a field reads "N/A", the upstream agency has not yet released that value for Seychelles - we never fabricate estimates or carry forward stale values, so missing points stay visible rather than quietly filled in.

Using the Seychelles profile

A single rank only means something in context, read Seychelles's numbers against its peers and over time.

  • Put Seychelles side-by-side with another country to see exactly where the gaps are. Compare countries
  • See the full GDP table to find every country above and below Seychelles's #188 position. GDP rankings
  • Browse Sub-Saharan Africa to benchmark Seychelles against its regional peers. Regional peers

Figures come from official World Bank, WHO, ILO and OECD releases; observation years differ by indicator (shown in the “Year” column) and unavailable values appear as “N/A” rather than estimates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does the data for Seychelles come from?

Data for Seychelles is sourced from the World Bank Open Data catalog, WHO Global Health Observatory, and ILO ILOSTAT (for average wages and working hours). These are official, publicly available datasets.

How current is the data for Seychelles?

It varies by indicator - most points are 2020-2024. See our methodology page for the update cadence per source.

Can I compare Seychelles with other countries?

Yes - use the compare tool above, or the rankings catalog to see where Seychelles stands on any single indicator.

What does GDP per capita tell us about Seychelles?

Seychelles's total output divided by its population, in current US dollars - an approximate read on average economic productivity per person. See our methodology page for the PPP-adjustment caveats.

How does Seychelles's life expectancy compare to the global average?

76.3 years, ranking 97th of 217 countries tracked - against a global average near 73 years.

Does PlainCountries cover visa or travel information for Seychelles?

No - PlainCountries is development and health data only. PlainVisa (plainvisa.com) covers immigration policy; PlainFlights (plainflights.com) covers flight routes.

Source: World Bank Open Data, Source: WHO Global Health Observatory, Source: ILO ILOSTAT. World Bank and ILO data licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, financial, or policy advice. Data is sourced from the World Bank, WHO, ILO, and OECD. See our full disclaimer and editorial policy.