Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Bahrain 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 Bahrain, that number is 0.1% of people as of 2017.

live 14.6 years longer

In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 65 years (64 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2022. In Bahrain, that number is 80 years (78 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 4.0 times more money

South Africa has a GDP per capita of $14,300 as of 2023, while in Bahrain, the GDP per capita is $57,600 as of 2023.

be 95.9% less likely to be unemployed

In South Africa, 28.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Bahrain, that number is 1.2% as of 2023.

Life

be 87.4% less likely to die during childbirth

In South Africa, approximately 127.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Bahrain, 16.0 women do as of 2020.

be 60.6% 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 Bahrain, on the other hand, 10.2 children do as of 2022.

have 31.1% fewer children

In South Africa, there are approximately 17.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Bahrain, there are 12.2 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 Bahrain, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

be 38.9% more likely to have internet access

In South Africa, approximately 72.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Bahrain, about 100.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 66.7% less on education

South Africa spends 6.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Bahrain spends 2.2% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 51.2% less on healthcare

South Africa spends 8.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Bahrain, that number is 4.2% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 94.2% less coastline

South Africa has a total of 2,798 km of coastline. In Bahrain, that number is 161 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Bahrain: At a glance

Bahrain is a sovereign country in Middle East, with a total land area of approximately 760 sq km. In 1783, the Sunni Al-Khalifa family took power in Bahrain. In order to secure these holdings, it entered into a series of treaties with the UK during the 19th century that made Bahrain a British protectorate. The archipelago attained its independence in 1971. Facing declining oil reserves, Bahrain has turned to petroleum processing and refining and has become an international banking center. Bahrain's small size and central location among Gulf countries require it to play a delicate balancing act in foreign affairs among its larger neighbors. The Sunni-led government has struggled to manage relations with its large Shia-majority population. In early 2011, amid Arab uprisings elsewhere in the region, the Bahraini Government confronted similar protests at home with police and military action, including deploying Gulf Cooperation Council security forces to Bahrain. Sporadic clashes between demonstrators and security forces continue in Bahrain. Ongoing dissatisfaction with the political status quo has led to a broader discussion termed the Bahrain National Dialogue, a process that convenes members of the executive, parliament, and political societies in an attempt to reach a political agreement.
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How big is Bahrain compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.

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