Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 15.9 years longer

In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 65 years (64 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2022. In Faroe Islands, that number is 81 years (79 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 5.0 times more money

South Africa has a GDP per capita of $14,300 as of 2023, while in Faroe Islands, the GDP per capita is $71,500 as of 2022.

be 92.1% less likely to be unemployed

In South Africa, 28.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Faroe Islands, that number is 2.2% as of 2017.

be 39.8% less likely to live below the poverty line

In South Africa, 16.6% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Faroe Islands, however, that number is 10.0% as of 2015.

Life

be 76.8% 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 Faroe Islands, on the other hand, 6.0 children do as of 2022.

have 15.8% fewer children

In South Africa, there are approximately 17.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Faroe Islands, there are 14.9 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 Faroe Islands, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

be 35.6% more likely to have internet access

In South Africa, approximately 72.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Faroe Islands, about 97.6% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 15.2% more on education

South Africa spends 6.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Faroe Islands spends 7.6% of total GDP on education as of 2019.

Geography

see 60.1% less coastline

South Africa has a total of 2,798 km of coastline. In Faroe Islands, that number is 1,117 km.

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

Faroe Islands: At a glance

Faroe Islands is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 1,393 sq km. The population of the Faroe Islands is largely descended from Viking settlers who arrived in the 9th century. The islands have been connected politically to Denmark since the 14th century. A high degree of self-government was granted the Faroese in 1948, who have autonomy over most internal affairs while Denmark is responsible for justice, defense, and foreign affairs. The Faroe Islands are not part of the European Union.
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How big is Faroe Islands compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.

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