Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 99.0% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In South Africa, 19.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Israel, that number is 0.2% of people as of 2018.

live 18.0 years longer

In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 65 years (64 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2022. In Israel, that number is 83 years (81 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 3.4 times more money

South Africa has a GDP per capita of $14,300 as of 2023, while in Israel, the GDP per capita is $48,300 as of 2023.

be 87.9% less likely to be unemployed

In South Africa, 28.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Israel, that number is 3.4% as of 2023.

be 32.5% more likely to live below the poverty line

In South Africa, 16.6% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Israel, however, that number is 22.0% as of 2014.

pay a 11.1% higher top tax rate

South Africa has a top tax rate of 45.0% as of 2017. In Israel, the top tax rate is 50.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 97.6% less likely to die during childbirth

In South Africa, approximately 127.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Israel, 3.0 women do as of 2020.

be 86.2% 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 Israel, on the other hand, 3.6 children do as of 2022.

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 Israel, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

be 25.0% more likely to have internet access

In South Africa, approximately 72.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Israel, about 90.0% do as of 2021.

Geography

see 90.2% less coastline

South Africa has a total of 2,798 km of coastline. In Israel, that number is 273 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Israel Ministry of Finance Tax Authority, The World Factbook, South African Revenue Service.

Israel: At a glance

Israel is a sovereign country in Middle East, with a total land area of approximately 21,497 sq km. Following World War II, the British withdrew from their mandate of Palestine, and the UN proposed partitioning the area into Arab and Jewish states, an arrangement rejected by the Arabs. Nonetheless, an Israeli state was declared in 1948 and the Israelis subsequently defeated the Arabs in a series of wars without ending the deep tensions between the two sides. (The territories Israel occupied since the 1967 war are not included in the Israel country profile, unless otherwise noted.) On 25 April 1982, Israel withdrew from the Sinai pursuant to the 1979 Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty. In keeping with the framework established at the Madrid Conference in October 1991, bilateral negotiations were conducted between Israel and Palestinian representatives and Syria to achieve a permanent settlement. Israel and Palestinian officials signed on 13 September 1993 a Declaration of Principles (also known as the "Oslo Accords"), enshrining the idea of a two-state solution to their conflict and guiding an interim period of Palestinian self-rule. Outstanding territorial and other disputes with Jordan were resolved in the 26 October 1994 Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace. Progress toward a permanent status agreement with the Palestinians was undermined by Israeli-Palestinian violence between 2001 and February 2005. Israel in 2005 unilaterally disengaged from the Gaza Strip, evacuating settlers and its military while retaining control over most points of entry into the Gaza Strip. The election of HAMAS to head the Palestinian Legislative Council in 2006 froze relations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA). In 2006 Israel engaged in a 34-day conflict with Hizballah in Lebanon in June-August 2006 and a 23-day conflict with HAMAS in the Gaza Strip during December 2008 and January 2009. Direct talks with the Palestinians launched in September 2010 collapsed following the expiration of Israel's 10-month partial settlement construction moratorium in the West Bank. In November 2012, Israel engaged in a seven-day conflict with HAMAS in the Gaza Strip. Prime Minister Binyamin NETANYAHU formed a coalition government in March 2013 following general elections in January 2013. Direct talks with the Palestinians resumed in July 2013 and but were suspended in late April 2014.
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How big is Israel compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.

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