Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 99.5% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In South Africa, 19.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Albania, that number is 0.1% of people as of 2017.

live 14.2 years longer

In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 65 years (64 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2022. In Albania, that number is 79 years (77 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2022.

be 23.3% less likely to be obese

In South Africa, 28.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Albania, that number is 21.7% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 26.6% more money

South Africa has a GDP per capita of $14,300 as of 2023, while in Albania, the GDP per capita is $18,100 as of 2023.

be 58.6% less likely to be unemployed

In South Africa, 28.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Albania, that number is 11.6% as of 2023.

pay a 48.9% lower top tax rate

South Africa has a top tax rate of 45.0% as of 2017. In Albania, the top tax rate is 23.0% as of 2016.

be 32.5% more likely to live below the poverty line

In South Africa, 16.6% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Albania, however, that number is 22.0% as of 2020.

Life

be 93.7% less likely to die during childbirth

In South Africa, approximately 127.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Albania, 8.0 women do as of 2020.

be 58.2% less likely to die during infancy

In South Africa, approximately 25.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Albania, on the other hand, 10.8 children do as of 2022.

have 30.5% fewer children

In South Africa, there are approximately 17.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Albania, there are 12.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 15.6% more likely to have access to electricity

In South Africa, approximately 86% of the population has electricity access as of 2022. In Albania, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

Expenditures

spend 53.0% less on education

South Africa spends 6.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Albania spends 3.1% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 22.1% less on healthcare

South Africa spends 8.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Albania, that number is 6.7% of GDP as of 2018.

Geography

see 87.1% less coastline

South Africa has a total of 2,798 km of coastline. In Albania, that number is 362 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Albanian Taxation Office, South African Revenue Service.

Albania: At a glance

Albania is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 27,398 sq km. Albania declared its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912, but was conquered by Italy in 1939, and occupied by Germany in 1943. Communist partisans took over the country in 1944. Albania allied itself first with the USSR (until 1960), and then with China (to 1978). In the early 1990s, Albania ended 46 years of xenophobic communist rule and established a multiparty democracy. The transition has proven challenging as successive governments have tried to deal with high unemployment, widespread corruption, dilapidated infrastructure, powerful organized crime networks, and combative political opponents. Albania has made progress in its democratic development since first holding multiparty elections in 1991, but deficiencies remain. International observers judged elections to be largely free and fair since the restoration of political stability following the collapse of pyramid schemes in 1997; however, each of Albania's post-communist elections have been marred by claims of electoral fraud. The 2009 general elections resulted in a coalition government, the first such in the country's history. In 2013, general elections achieved a peaceful transition of power and a second successive coalition government. Albania joined NATO in April 2009 and is a potential candidate for EU accession. Although Albania's economy continues to grow, it has slowed, and the country is still one of the poorest in Europe. A large informal economy and an inadequate energy and transportation infrastructure remain obstacles.
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How big is Albania compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.

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