Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Democratic Republic of the Congo instead of South Africa, you would:

Health

be 96.3% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In South Africa, 19.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 0.7% of people as of 2020.

be 76.3% less likely to be obese

In South Africa, 28.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 6.7% of people as of 2016.

live 3.5 years less

In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 65 years (64 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2022. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 62 years (60 years for men, 64 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

be 83.8% less likely to be unemployed

In South Africa, 28.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 4.5% as of 2023.

make 89.5% less money

South Africa has a GDP per capita of $14,300 as of 2023, while in Democratic Republic of the Congo, the GDP per capita is $1,500 as of 2023.

be 3.8 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In South Africa, 16.6% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, however, that number is 63.0% as of 2014.

Life

have 2.2 times more children

In South Africa, there are approximately 17.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, there are 39.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 4.3 times more likely to die during childbirth

In South Africa, approximately 127.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 547.0 women do as of 2020.

be 15.8% less likely to be literate

In South Africa, the literacy rate is 95.0% as of 2019. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, it is 80.0% as of 2021.

be 2.4 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 Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the other hand, 60.9 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 75.1% less 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 Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 22% of people on average (44% in urban areas, and 1% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 67.8% less likely to have internet access

In South Africa, approximately 72.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, about 23.2% do as of 2021.

be 38.6% less likely to have access to improved drinking water

In South Africa, approximately 97% of people have improved drinking water access (100% in urban areas, and 90% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 59% of people on average (89% in urban areas, and 35% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 59.1% less on education

South Africa spends 6.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Democratic Republic of the Congo spends 2.7% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

spend 52.3% less on healthcare

South Africa spends 8.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 4.1% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 98.7% less coastline

South Africa has a total of 2,798 km of coastline. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 37 km.

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

Democratic Republic of the Congo: At a glance

Democratic Republic of the Congo is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 2,267,048 sq km. Established as a Belgian colony in 1908, the then-Republic of the Congo gained its independence in 1960, but its early years were marred by political and social instability. Col. Joseph MOBUTU seized power and declared himself president in a November 1965 coup. He subsequently changed his name - to MOBUTU Sese Seko - as well as that of the country - to Zaire. MOBUTU retained his position for 32 years through several sham elections, as well as through brutal force. Ethnic strife and civil war, touched off by a massive inflow of refugees in 1994 from fighting in Rwanda and Burundi, led in May 1997 to the toppling of the MOBUTU regime by a rebellion backed by Rwanda and Uganda and fronted by Laurent KABILA. He renamed the country the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), but in August 1998 his regime was itself challenged by a second insurrection again backed by Rwanda and Uganda. Troops from Angola, Chad, Namibia, Sudan, and Zimbabwe intervened to support KABILA's regime. In January 2001, KABILA was assassinated and his son, Joseph KABILA, was named head of state. In October 2002, the new president was successful in negotiating the withdrawal of Rwandan forces occupying the eastern DRC; two months later, the Pretoria Accord was signed by all remaining warring parties to end the fighting and establish a government of national unity. A transitional government was set up in July 2003; it held a successful constitutional referendum in December 2005 and elections for the presidency, National Assembly, and provincial legislatures took place in 2006. In 2009, following a resurgence of conflict in the eastern DRC, the government signed a peace agreement with the National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP), a primarily Tutsi rebel group. An attempt to integrate CNDP members into the Congolese military failed, prompting their defection in 2012 and the formation of the M23 armed group - named after the 23 March 2009 peace agreements. Renewed conflict has lead to the displacement of large numbers of people and significant human rights abuses. As of February 2013, peace talks between the Congolese government and the M23 were on-going. In addition, the DRC continues to experience violence committed by other armed groups including the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda and Mai Mai groups. In the most recent national elections, held in November 2011, disputed results allowed Joseph KABILA to be reelected to the presidency.
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