Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

live 1.9 years longer

In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 65 years (64 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2022. In Comoros, that number is 67 years (65 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022.

be 72.4% less likely to be obese

In South Africa, 28.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Comoros, that number is 7.8% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 79.3% less likely to be unemployed

In South Africa, 28.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Comoros, that number is 5.8% as of 2023.

make 75.5% less money

South Africa has a GDP per capita of $14,300 as of 2023, while in Comoros, the GDP per capita is $3,500 as of 2023.

be 2.6 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In South Africa, 16.6% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Comoros, however, that number is 42.4% as of 2013.

Life

have 22.0% more children

In South Africa, there are approximately 17.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Comoros, there are 21.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 70.9% more likely to die during childbirth

In South Africa, approximately 127.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Comoros, 217.0 women do as of 2020.

be 34.7% less likely to be literate

In South Africa, the literacy rate is 95.0% as of 2019. In Comoros, it is 62.0% as of 2021.

be 2.2 times more 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 Comoros, on the other hand, 57.1 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 62.5% less likely to have internet access

In South Africa, approximately 72.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Comoros, about 27.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 60.6% less on education

South Africa spends 6.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Comoros spends 2.6% of total GDP on education as of 2015.

spend 37.2% less on healthcare

South Africa spends 8.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Comoros, that number is 5.4% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 87.8% less coastline

South Africa has a total of 2,798 km of coastline. In Comoros, that number is 340 km.

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

Comoros: At a glance

Comoros is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 2,235 sq km. Comoros has endured more than 20 coups or attempted coups since gaining independence from France in 1975. In 1997, the islands of Anjouan and Moheli declared independence from Comoros. In 1999, military chief Col. AZALI seized power of the entire government in a bloodless coup, and helped negotiate the 2000 Fomboni Accords power-sharing agreement in which the federal presidency rotates among the three islands, and each island maintains its local government. AZALI won the 2002 federal presidential election, and each island in the archipelago elected its president. AZALI stepped down in 2006 and President SAMBI was elected to office. In 2007, Mohamed BACAR effected Anjouan's de-facto secession from the Union of Comoros, refusing to step down when Comoros' other islands held legitimate elections in July. The African Union (AU) initially attempted to resolve the political crisis by applying sanctions and a naval blockade to Anjouan, but in March 2008 the AU and Comoran soldiers seized the island. The island's inhabitants generally welcomed the move. In May 2011, Ikililou DHOININE won the presidency in peaceful elections widely deemed to be free and fair.
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How big is Comoros compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.

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