Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea is a small, oil-rich nation located on the west coast of Central Africa, comprising a mainland region (Río Muni) and several islands including Bioko, where the capital city Malabo is situated. Despite its modest size, the country ha...
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With a safety index of 51/100, Equatorial Guinea offers moderate safety conditions for expats and their families.
Equatorial Guinea requires all international travelers, including citizens of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, to obtain an eVisa prior to arrival for tourism, business, or short-term visits. There is no visa-free entry or visa-on-arrival option available, and applications must be submitted online through the official Equatorial Guinea eVisa portal (equatorialguinea-evisa.com) or authorized services like VisaHQ.[1][4][9] Required documents include a passport valid for at least 6 months from entry with 2 blank pages, a recent passport photo, proof...
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14% above EU avg
22% below EU avg
29% below EU avg
Baselines based on EU averages. Source: Numbeo indices.
Capital
Malabo
Timezone
UTC+01:00
Area
28,051 km²
Population
1,402,985
Equatorial Guinea shows a purchasing power index of 50/100, indicating moderate economic conditions for expats.
GDP
$12.27B
HDI
0.6
Quality of Life
N/A
NYC baseline: 43
Purchasing Power
21/100
-21 vs NYC
Understanding the economic landscape is essential for evaluating living costs and opportunities in Equatorial Guinea. This comprehensive overview covers key financial indicators including cost of living, housing markets, income levels, and fiscal policies that shape daily life and long-term financial planning.
Cost of Living Index
Moderate costs (CPI: 58.8). Groceries (60.1), restaurants (55.3), and rent (7.0) are relatively affordable compared to NYC (100 baseline).
Housing Market
Very affordable housing market with property price to income ratio of 4.6 years. Low rent index (7.0) supports accessibility for residents.
Average Income Levels
Low purchasing power index of 45.5 limits buying capacity despite oil-driven GDP. Household purchasing power declined 4.5% from 2020-2023 amid rising food prices.
Tax System
High total tax rate at 79.4% of commercial profits burdens businesses. Personal income tax up to 35%, sales tax/VAT 13-15%, with limited clarity and high corruption risks.
Business Environment
Challenging environment due to cumbersome procedures, pervasive corruption, and heavy bureaucracy. No recent World Bank Doing Business rank; oil dependency hinders diversification.
Social Security
Limited social safety net with inadequate healthcare, pensions, and unemployment benefits. Low HDI (0.596) reflects weak coverage; social spending needs protection amid recession.
Equatorial Guinea features a humid equatorial climate characterized by consistently warm temperatures year-round, ranging from 23-27°C, with minimal seasonal variation. The country experiences two distinct wet seasons separated by drier periods, with coastal areas receiving significantly higher rainfall than inland regions.
3 distinct climate regions — see full guide for details
Read full guideLife Expectancy
57.7
Population
1,402,985
Religions
Ethnic Composition
Research in Progress
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We're gradually rolling out this feature and continuously improving the insights. The data is based on real expat discussions and will become more comprehensive over time.
Equatorial Guinea operates as a presidential republic under an authoritarian regime led by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo since 1979. The ruling Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea dominates all branches of government, with no effective opposition following the 2022 elections. Human rights concerns persist, including restrictions on press freedom and political dissent.
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Data Source: Safety, crime, and quality metrics are sourced from Numbeo, a crowd-sourced global database of reported data.
All scores are relative comparisons on a 0-100 scale, where 50 = global average. Higher scores mean better than average, lower scores mean worse than average.