Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Azerbaijan 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 Azerbaijan, that number is 0.1% of people as of 2020.

live 8.8 years longer

In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 65 years (64 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2022. In Azerbaijan, that number is 74 years (71 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2022.

be 29.7% less likely to be obese

In South Africa, 28.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Azerbaijan, that number is 19.9% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 49.0% more money

South Africa has a GDP per capita of $14,300 as of 2023, while in Azerbaijan, the GDP per capita is $21,300 as of 2023.

be 79.8% less likely to be unemployed

In South Africa, 28.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Azerbaijan, that number is 5.6% as of 2023.

be 70.5% less likely to live below the poverty line

In South Africa, 16.6% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Azerbaijan, however, that number is 4.9% as of 2015.

pay a 44.4% lower top tax rate

South Africa has a top tax rate of 45.0% as of 2017. In Azerbaijan, the top tax rate is 25.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 67.7% less likely to die during childbirth

In South Africa, approximately 127.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Azerbaijan, 41.0 women do as of 2020.

have 36.7% fewer children

In South Africa, there are approximately 17.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Azerbaijan, there are 11.2 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 Azerbaijan, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

be 18.1% more likely to have internet access

In South Africa, approximately 72.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Azerbaijan, about 85.0% do as of 2022.

Expenditures

spend 34.8% less on education

South Africa spends 6.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Azerbaijan spends 4.3% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 46.5% less on healthcare

South Africa spends 8.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Azerbaijan, that number is 4.6% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Ministry of Taxes, South African Revenue Service.

Azerbaijan: At a glance

Azerbaijan is a sovereign country in Middle East, with a total land area of approximately 82,629 sq km. Azerbaijan - a nation with a majority-Turkic and majority-Shia Muslim population - was briefly independent (from 1918 to 1920) following the collapse of the Russian Empire; it was subsequently incorporated into the Soviet Union for seven decades. Azerbaijan has yet to resolve its conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, a primarily Armenian-populated region that Moscow recognized in 1923 as an autonomous republic within Soviet Azerbaijan after Armenia and Azerbaijan disputed the territory's status. Armenia and Azerbaijan began fighting over the area in 1988; the struggle escalated after both countries attained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. By May 1994, when a cease-fire took hold, ethnic Armenian forces held not only Nagorno-Karabakh but also seven surrounding provinces in the territory of Azerbaijan. The OSCE Minsk Group, co-chaired by the United States, France, and Russia, is the framework established to mediate a peaceful resolution of the conflict. Corruption in the country is widespread, and the government, which eliminated presidential term limits in a 2009 referendum, has been accused of authoritarianism. Although the poverty rate has been reduced and infrastructure investment has increased substantially in recent years due to revenue from oil and gas production, reforms have not adequately addressed weaknesses in most government institutions, particularly in the education and health sectors.
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How big is Azerbaijan compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.

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