Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 93.7% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In South Africa, 19.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Belize, that number is 1.2% of people as of 2020.

live 10.5 years longer

In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 65 years (64 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2022. In Belize, that number is 76 years (74 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2022.

be 14.8% less likely to be obese

In South Africa, 28.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Belize, that number is 24.1% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 70.5% less likely to be unemployed

In South Africa, 28.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Belize, that number is 8.3% as of 2023.

make 10.5% less money

South Africa has a GDP per capita of $14,300 as of 2023, while in Belize, the GDP per capita is $12,800 as of 2023.

be 2.5 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In South Africa, 16.6% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Belize, however, that number is 41.0% as of 2013.

Life

be 56.9% 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 Belize, on the other hand, 11.2 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 14.0% more likely to have access to electricity

In South Africa, approximately 86% of people have electricity access (87% in urban areas, and 92% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Belize, that number is 99% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 97% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 13.9% less likely to have internet access

In South Africa, approximately 72.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Belize, about 62.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 19.8% less on healthcare

South Africa spends 8.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Belize, that number is 6.9% of GDP as of 2020.

spend 31.8% more on education

South Africa spends 6.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Belize spends 8.7% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

Geography

see 86.2% less coastline

South Africa has a total of 2,798 km of coastline. In Belize, that number is 386 km.

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

Belize: At a glance

Belize is a sovereign country in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 22,806 sq km. Belize was the site of several Mayan city states until their decline at the end of the first millennium A.D. The British and Spanish disputed the region in the 17th and 18th centuries; it formally became the colony of British Honduras in 1854. Territorial disputes between the UK and Guatemala delayed the independence of Belize until 1981. Guatemala refused to recognize the new nation until 1992 and the two countries are involved in an ongoing border dispute. Tourism has become the mainstay of the economy. Current concerns include the country's heavy foreign debt burden, high unemployment, growing involvement in the Mexican and South American drug trade, high crime rates, and one of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in Central America.
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How big is Belize compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.

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