Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 99.0% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In South Africa, 19.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Bolivia, that number is 0.2% of people as of 2020.

live 7.2 years longer

In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 65 years (64 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2022. In Bolivia, that number is 72 years (71 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2022.

be 28.6% less likely to be obese

In South Africa, 28.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Bolivia, that number is 20.2% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 89.0% less likely to be unemployed

In South Africa, 28.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Bolivia, that number is 3.1% as of 2023.

pay a 71.1% lower top tax rate

South Africa has a top tax rate of 45.0% as of 2017. In Bolivia, the top tax rate is 13.0% as of 2016.

make 32.2% less money

South Africa has a GDP per capita of $14,300 as of 2023, while in Bolivia, the GDP per capita is $9,700 as of 2023.

be 2.2 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In South Africa, 16.6% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Bolivia, however, that number is 36.4% as of 2021.

Life

be 13.9% 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 Bolivia, on the other hand, 22.3 children do as of 2022.

be 26.8% more likely to die during childbirth

In South Africa, approximately 127.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Bolivia, 161.0 women do as of 2020.

Basic Needs

be 15.5% 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 Bolivia, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 95% in rural areas) as of 2022.

Expenditures

spend 48.5% more on education

South Africa spends 6.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Bolivia spends 9.8% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Autoridad de Impugnación Tributaria (AIT), Bolivia, South African Revenue Service.

Bolivia: At a glance

Bolivia is a sovereign country in South America, with a total land area of approximately 1,083,301 sq km. Bolivia, named after independence fighter Simon BOLIVAR, broke away from Spanish rule in 1825; much of its subsequent history has consisted of a series of nearly 200 coups and countercoups. Democratic civilian rule was established in 1982, but leaders have faced difficult problems of deep-seated poverty, social unrest, and illegal drug production. In December 2005, Bolivians elected Movement Toward Socialism leader Evo MORALES president - by the widest margin of any leader since the restoration of civilian rule in 1982 - after he ran on a promise to change the country's traditional political class and empower the nation's poor, indigenous majority. In December 2009, President MORALES easily won reelection, and his party took control of the legislative branch of the government, which will allow him to continue his process of change. In October 2011, the country held its first judicial elections to select judges for the four highest courts.
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How big is Bolivia compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.

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