Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 97.4% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In South Africa, 19.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Belarus, that number is 0.5% of people as of 2020.

live 9.0 years longer

In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 65 years (64 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2022. In Belarus, that number is 74 years (69 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2022.

be 13.4% less likely to be obese

In South Africa, 28.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Belarus, that number is 24.5% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 93.7% more money

South Africa has a GDP per capita of $14,300 as of 2023, while in Belarus, the GDP per capita is $27,700 as of 2023.

be 87.2% less likely to be unemployed

In South Africa, 28.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Belarus, that number is 3.6% as of 2023.

be 71.1% less likely to live below the poverty line

In South Africa, 16.6% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Belarus, however, that number is 4.8% as of 2020.

pay a 71.1% lower top tax rate

South Africa has a top tax rate of 45.0% as of 2017. In Belarus, the top tax rate is 13.0% as of 2017.

Life

be 99.2% less likely to die during childbirth

In South Africa, approximately 127.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Belarus, 1.0 women do as of 2020.

be 87.4% 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 Belarus, on the other hand, 3.3 children do as of 2022.

have 53.1% fewer children

In South Africa, there are approximately 17.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Belarus, there are 8.3 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 Belarus, 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 Belarus, about 85.0% do as of 2022.

Expenditures

spend 28.8% less on education

South Africa spends 6.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Belarus spends 4.7% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

spend 25.6% less on healthcare

South Africa spends 8.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Belarus, that number is 6.4% of GDP as of 2020.

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

Belarus: At a glance

Belarus is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 202,900 sq km. After seven decades as a constituent republic of the USSR, Belarus attained its independence in 1991. It has retained closer political and economic ties to Russia than have any of the other former Soviet republics. Belarus and Russia signed a treaty on a two-state union on 8 December 1999 envisioning greater political and economic integration. Although Belarus agreed to a framework to carry out the accord, serious implementation has yet to take place. Since his election in July 1994 as the country's first directly elected president, Aleksandr LUKASHENKO has steadily consolidated his power through authoritarian means and a centralized economic system. Government restrictions on freedom of speech and the press, peaceful assembly, and religion remain in place.
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