Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in South Africa instead of Rwanda, you would:

Health

be 7.6 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Rwanda, 2.5% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In South Africa, that number is 19.1% of people as of 2020.

be 4.9 times more likely to be obese

In Rwanda, 5.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In South Africa, that number is 28.3% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 4.8 times more money

Rwanda has a GDP per capita of $3,000 as of 2023, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $14,300 as of 2023.

be 56.5% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Rwanda, 38.2% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In South Africa, however, that number is 16.6% as of 2016.

be 87.5% more likely to be unemployed

In Rwanda, 14.9% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 28.0% as of 2023.

pay a 50.0% higher top tax rate

Rwanda has a top tax rate of 30.0% as of 2016. In South Africa, the top tax rate is 45.0% as of 2017.

Life

be 51.0% less likely to die during childbirth

In Rwanda, approximately 259.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In South Africa, 127.0 women do as of 2020.

be 25.2% more likely to be literate

In Rwanda, the literacy rate is 75.9% as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 95.0% as of 2019.

have 33.1% fewer children

In Rwanda, there are approximately 26.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In South Africa, there are 17.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 70.9% more likely to have access to electricity

In Rwanda, approximately 51% of people have electricity access (98% in urban areas, and 38% in rural areas) as of 2022. In South Africa, that number is 86% of people on average (87% in urban areas, and 92% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 2.4 times more likely to have internet access

In Rwanda, approximately 30.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In South Africa, about 72.0% do as of 2021.

be 16.9% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Rwanda, approximately 83% of people have improved drinking water access (92% in urban areas, and 81% in rural areas) as of 2020. In South Africa, that number is 97% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 90% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 73.7% more on education

Rwanda spends 3.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. South Africa spends 6.6% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

spend 17.8% more on healthcare

Rwanda spends 7.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In South Africa, that number is 8.6% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Rwanda Revenue Authority, South African Revenue Service.

South Africa: At a glance

South Africa (sometimes abbreviated RSA) is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 1,214,470 sq km. Dutch traders landed at the southern tip of modern day South Africa in 1652 and established a stopover point on the spice route between the Netherlands and the Far East, founding the city of Cape Town. After the British seized the Cape of Good Hope area in 1806, many of the Dutch settlers (the Boers) trekked north to found their own republics. The discovery of diamonds (1867) and gold (1886) spurred wealth and immigration and intensified the subjugation of the native inhabitants. The Boers resisted British encroachments but were defeated in the Second Anglo Boer War (1899-1902); however, the British and the Afrikaners, as the Boers became known, ruled together beginning in 1910 under the Union of South Africa, which became a republic in 1961 after a whites-only referendum. In 1948, the National Party was voted into power and instituted a policy of apartheid - the separate development of the races - which favored the white minority at the expense of the black majority. The African National Congress (ANC) led the opposition to apartheid and many top ANC leaders, such as Nelson MANDELA, spent decades in South Africa's prisons. Internal protests and insurgency, as well as boycotts by some Western nations and institutions, led to the regime's eventual willingness to negotiate a peaceful transition to majority rule. The first multi-racial elections in 1994 brought an end to apartheid and ushered in majority rule under an ANC-led government. South Africa since then has struggled to address apartheid-era imbalances in decent housing, education, and health care. ANC infighting, which has grown in recent years, came to a head in September 2008 when President Thabo MBEKI resigned, and Kgalema MOTLANTHE, the party's General-Secretary, succeeded him as interim president. Jacob ZUMA became president after the ANC won general elections in April 2009. National presidential and parliamentary elections are scheduled for May 2014.
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How big is South Africa compared to Rwanda? See an in-depth size comparison.

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