Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 95.3% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In South Africa, 19.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Mali, that number is 0.9% of people as of 2020.

be 69.6% less likely to be obese

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

live 2.9 years less

In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 65 years (64 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2022. In Mali, that number is 62 years (60 years for men, 65 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

be 89.2% less likely to be unemployed

In South Africa, 28.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Mali, that number is 3.0% as of 2023.

make 82.5% less money

South Africa has a GDP per capita of $14,300 as of 2023, while in Mali, the GDP per capita is $2,500 as of 2023.

be 2.7 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In South Africa, 16.6% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Mali, however, that number is 44.6% as of 2021.

Life

have 2.3 times more children

In South Africa, there are approximately 17.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Mali, there are 41.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022.

be 3.5 times more likely to die during childbirth

In South Africa, approximately 127.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Mali, 440.0 women do as of 2020.

be 62.6% less likely to be literate

In South Africa, the literacy rate is 95.0% as of 2019. In Mali, it is 35.5% as of 2018.

be 2.3 times more 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 Mali, on the other hand, 60.6 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 38.7% less likely to have access to electricity

In South Africa, approximately 86% of people have electricity access (87% in urban areas, and 92% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Mali, that number is 53% of people on average (97% in urban areas, and 18% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 52.8% less likely to have internet access

In South Africa, approximately 72.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Mali, about 34.0% do as of 2021.

be 10.7% less likely to have access to improved drinking water

In South Africa, approximately 97% of people have improved drinking water access (100% in urban areas, and 90% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Mali, that number is 86% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 76% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 33.3% less on education

South Africa spends 6.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Mali spends 4.4% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

spend 50.0% less on healthcare

South Africa spends 8.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Mali, that number is 4.3% of GDP as of 2020.

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

Mali: At a glance

Mali is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 1,220,190 sq km. The Sudanese Republic and Senegal became independent of France in 1960 as the Mali Federation. When Senegal withdrew after only a few months, what formerly made up the Sudanese Republic was renamed Mali. Rule by dictatorship was brought to a close in 1991 by a military coup that ushered in a period of democratic rule. President Alpha KONARE won Mali's first two democratic presidential elections in 1992 and 1997. In keeping with Mali's two-term constitutional limit, he stepped down in 2002 and was succeeded by Amadou Toumani TOURE, who was elected to a second term in 2007 elections that were widely judged to be free and fair. Malian returnees from Libya in 2011 exacerbated tensions in northern Mali, and Tuareg ethnic militias started a rebellion in January 2012. Low- and mid-level soldiers, frustrated with the poor handling of the rebellion overthrew TOURE on 22 March. Intensive mediation efforts led by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) returned power to a civilian administration in April with the appointment of interim President Dioncounda TRAORE. The post-coup chaos led to rebels expelling the Malian military from the three northern regions of the country and allowed Islamic militants to set up strongholds. Hundreds of thousands of northern Malians fled the violence to southern Mali and neighboring countries, exacerbating regional food insecurity in host communities. An international military intervention to retake the three northern regions began in January 2013 and within a month most of the north had been retaken. In a democratic presidential election conducted in July and August of 2013, Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA was elected president in the second round.
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