Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 95.8% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In South Africa, 19.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Estonia, that number is 0.8% of people as of 2020.

live 12.6 years longer

In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 65 years (64 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2022. In Estonia, that number is 78 years (73 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2022.

be 25.1% less likely to be obese

In South Africa, 28.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Estonia, that number is 21.2% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 2.9 times more money

South Africa has a GDP per capita of $14,300 as of 2023, while in Estonia, the GDP per capita is $42,000 as of 2023.

be 77.3% less likely to be unemployed

In South Africa, 28.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Estonia, that number is 6.3% as of 2023.

pay a 55.6% lower top tax rate

South Africa has a top tax rate of 45.0% as of 2017. In Estonia, the top tax rate is 20.0% as of 2016.

be 35.5% more likely to live below the poverty line

In South Africa, 16.6% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Estonia, however, that number is 22.5% as of 2022.

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 Estonia, 5.0 women do as of 2020.

be 86.8% 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 Estonia, on the other hand, 3.4 children do as of 2022.

have 53.7% fewer children

In South Africa, there are approximately 17.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Estonia, there are 8.2 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 Estonia, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

be 33.5% more likely to have internet access

In South Africa, approximately 72.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Estonia, about 96.1% do as of 2022.

Geography

see 35.6% more coastline

South Africa has a total of 2,798 km of coastline. In Estonia, that number is 3,794 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Estonian Tax and Customs Board, The World Factbook, South African Revenue Service.

Estonia: At a glance

Estonia is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 42,388 sq km. After centuries of Danish, Swedish, German, and Russian rule, Estonia attained independence in 1918. Forcibly incorporated into the USSR in 1940 - an action never recognized by the US - it regained its freedom in 1991 with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Since the last Russian troops left in 1994, Estonia has been free to promote economic and political ties with the West. It joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004, formally joined the OECD in late 2010, and adopted the euro as its official currency on 1 January 2011.
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How big is Estonia compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.

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