Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 15.1 years longer

In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 65 years (64 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2022. In Gibraltar, that number is 80 years (78 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 4.3 times more money

South Africa has a GDP per capita of $14,300 as of 2023, while in Gibraltar, the GDP per capita is $61,700 as of 2014.

be 96.4% less likely to be unemployed

In South Africa, 28.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Gibraltar, that number is 1.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 75.8% 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 Gibraltar, on the other hand, 6.2 children do as of 2022.

have 22.6% fewer children

In South Africa, there are approximately 17.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Gibraltar, there are 13.7 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 Gibraltar, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

be 31.1% more likely to have internet access

In South Africa, approximately 72.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Gibraltar, about 94.4% do as of 2021.

Geography

see 99.6% less coastline

South Africa has a total of 2,798 km of coastline. In Gibraltar, that number is 12 km.

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

Gibraltar: At a glance

Gibraltar is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 6 sq km. Strategically important, Gibraltar was reluctantly ceded to Great Britain by Spain in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht; the British garrison was formally declared a colony in 1830. In a referendum held in 1967, Gibraltarians voted overwhelmingly to remain a British dependency. The subsequent granting of autonomy in 1969 by the UK led to Spain closing the border and severing all communication links. Between 1997 and 2002, the UK and Spain held a series of talks on establishing temporary joint sovereignty over Gibraltar. In response to these talks, the Gibraltar Government called a referendum in late 2002 in which the majority of citizens voted overwhelmingly against any sharing of sovereignty with Spain. Since late 2004, Spain, the UK, and Gibraltar have held tripartite talks with the aim of cooperatively resolving problems that affect the local population, and work continues on cooperation agreements in areas such as taxation and financial services; communications and maritime security; policy, legal and customs services; environmental protection; and education and visa services. Throughout 2009, a dispute over Gibraltar's claim to territorial waters extending out three miles gave rise to periodic non-violent maritime confrontations between Spanish and UK naval patrols and in 2013, the British reported a record number of entries by Spanish vessels into waters claimed by Gibraltar following a dispute over Gibraltar's creation of an artificial reef in those waters. A new noncolonial constitution came into effect in 2007, and the European Court of First Instance recognized Gibraltar's right to regulate its own tax regime in December 2008. The UK retains responsibility for defense, foreign relations, internal security, and financial stability.
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How big is Gibraltar compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.

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