Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

live 16.3 years longer

In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 65 years (64 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2022. In Denmark, that number is 82 years (80 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2022.

be 30.4% less likely to be obese

In South Africa, 28.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Denmark, that number is 19.7% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 5.0 times more money

South Africa has a GDP per capita of $14,300 as of 2023, while in Denmark, the GDP per capita is $72,000 as of 2023.

be 81.6% less likely to be unemployed

In South Africa, 28.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Denmark, that number is 5.1% as of 2023.

be 25.3% less likely to live below the poverty line

In South Africa, 16.6% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Denmark, however, that number is 12.4% as of 2021.

pay a 24.0% higher top tax rate

South Africa has a top tax rate of 45.0% as of 2017. In Denmark, the top tax rate is 55.8% as of 2017.

Life

be 96.1% less likely to die during childbirth

In South Africa, approximately 127.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Denmark, 5.0 women do as of 2020.

be 88.2% 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 Denmark, on the other hand, 3.0 children do as of 2022.

have 36.2% fewer children

In South Africa, there are approximately 17.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Denmark, there are 11.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 15.6% more likely to have access to electricity

In South Africa, approximately 86% of the population has electricity access as of 2022. In Denmark, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

be 37.5% more likely to have internet access

In South Africa, approximately 72.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Denmark, about 99.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 22.1% more on healthcare

South Africa spends 8.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Denmark, that number is 10.5% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 2.6 times more coastline

South Africa has a total of 2,798 km of coastline. In Denmark, that number is 7,314 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Danish Central Tax Administration, South African Revenue Service.

Denmark: At a glance

Denmark is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 42,434 sq km. Once the seat of Viking raiders and later a major north European power, Denmark has evolved into a modern, prosperous nation that is participating in the general political and economic integration of Europe. It joined NATO in 1949 and the EEC (now the EU) in 1973. However, the country has opted out of certain elements of the European Union's Maastricht Treaty, including the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), European defense cooperation, and issues concerning certain justice and home affairs.
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How big is Denmark compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.

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