Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Cook Islands instead of South Africa, you would:

Health

live 11.8 years longer

In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 65 years (64 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2022. In Cook Islands, that number is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2022.

be 97.5% more likely to be obese

In South Africa, 28.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Cook Islands, that number is 55.9% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 53.2% less likely to be unemployed

In South Africa, 28.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Cook Islands, that number is 13.1% as of 2005.

Life

be 38.4% 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 Cook Islands, on the other hand, 15.9 children do as of 2022.

have 31.6% fewer children

In South Africa, there are approximately 17.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Cook Islands, there are 12.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 10.0% less likely to have internet access

In South Africa, approximately 72.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Cook Islands, about 64.8% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 30.3% less on education

South Africa spends 6.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Cook Islands spends 4.6% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

spend 62.8% less on healthcare

South Africa spends 8.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Cook Islands, that number is 3.2% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 95.7% less coastline

South Africa has a total of 2,798 km of coastline. In Cook Islands, that number is 120 km.

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

Cook Islands: At a glance

Cook Islands is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 236 sq km. Named after Captain COOK, who sighted them in 1770, the islands became a British protectorate in 1888. By 1900, administrative control was transferred to New Zealand; in 1965, residents chose self-government in free association with New Zealand. The emigration of skilled workers to New Zealand and government deficits are continuing problems.
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How big is Cook Islands compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.

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