Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 11.6 years longer

In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 65 years (64 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2022. In Maldives, that number is 77 years (75 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2022.

be 69.6% less likely to be obese

In South Africa, 28.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Maldives, that number is 8.6% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 56.6% more money

South Africa has a GDP per capita of $14,300 as of 2023, while in Maldives, the GDP per capita is $22,400 as of 2023.

be 85.2% less likely to be unemployed

In South Africa, 28.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Maldives, that number is 4.1% as of 2023.

be 67.5% less likely to live below the poverty line

In South Africa, 16.6% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Maldives, however, that number is 5.4% as of 2019.

Life

be 55.1% less likely to die during childbirth

In South Africa, approximately 127.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Maldives, 57.0 women do as of 2020.

have 14.7% fewer children

In South Africa, there are approximately 17.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Maldives, there are 15.1 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 Maldives, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

be 19.4% more likely to have internet access

In South Africa, approximately 72.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Maldives, about 86.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 12.1% less on education

South Africa spends 6.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Maldives spends 5.8% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 32.6% more on healthcare

South Africa spends 8.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Maldives, that number is 11.4% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 77.0% less coastline

South Africa has a total of 2,798 km of coastline. In Maldives, that number is 644 km.

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

Maldives: At a glance

Maldives is a sovereign country in South Asia, with a total land area of approximately 298 sq km. A sultanate since the 12th century, the Maldives became a British protectorate in 1887. It became a republic in 1968, three years after independence. President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM dominated the islands' political scene for 30 years, elected to six successive terms by single-party referendums. Following political demonstrations in the capital Male in August 2003, the president and his government pledged to embark upon a process of liberalization and democratic reforms, including a more representative political system and expanded political freedoms. Progress was sluggish, however, and many promised reforms were slow to be realized. Nonetheless, political parties were legalized in 2005. In June 2008, a constituent assembly - termed the "Special Majlis" - finalized a new constitution, which was ratified by the president in August. The first-ever presidential elections under a multi-candidate, multi-party system were held in October 2008. GAYOOM was defeated in a runoff poll by Mohamed NASHEED, a political activist who had been jailed several years earlier by the former regime. President NASHEED faced a number of challenges including strengthening democracy and combating poverty and drug abuse. In early February 2012, after several weeks of street protests following his sacking of a top judge, NASHEED resigned the presidency and handed over power to Vice President Mohammed WAHEED Hassan Maniku. In mid-2012, a Commission of National Inquiry was set by the government to probe events leading up to NASHEED's resignation. Though the commission found no evidence of a coup, the report recommended the need to strengthen the country's democratic institutions to avert similar events in the future, and to further investigate alleged police misconduct during the crisis. Maldivian officials have played a prominent role in international climate change discussions (due to the islands' low elevation and the threat from sea-level rise) on the UN Human Rights Council and in other international forums, as well as in encouraging regional cooperation, especially between India and Pakistan.
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How big is Maldives compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.

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