Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 99.5% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In South Africa, 19.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Malta, that number is 0.1% of people as of 2016.

live 17.9 years longer

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

Economy

make 4.0 times more money

South Africa has a GDP per capita of $14,300 as of 2023, while in Malta, the GDP per capita is $57,200 as of 2023.

be 88.8% less likely to be unemployed

In South Africa, 28.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Malta, that number is 3.1% as of 2023.

pay a 22.2% lower top tax rate

South Africa has a top tax rate of 45.0% as of 2017. In Malta, the top tax rate is 35.0% 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 Malta, 3.0 women do as of 2020.

be 82.5% 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 Malta, on the other hand, 4.5 children do as of 2022.

have 46.9% fewer children

In South Africa, there are approximately 17.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Malta, there are 9.4 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 Malta, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

be 20.8% more likely to have internet access

In South Africa, approximately 72.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Malta, about 87.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 10.6% less on education

South Africa spends 6.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Malta spends 5.9% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 25.6% more on healthcare

South Africa spends 8.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Malta, that number is 10.8% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 93.0% less coastline

South Africa has a total of 2,798 km of coastline. In Malta, that number is 197 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, South African Revenue Service, Government of Malta - Inland Revenue.

Malta: At a glance

Malta is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 316 sq km. Great Britain formally acquired possession of Malta in 1814. The island staunchly supported the UK through both world wars and remained in the Commonwealth when it became independent in 1964; a decade later it declared itself a republic. Since about the mid-1980s, the island has transformed itself into a freight transshipment point, a financial center, and a tourist destination. Malta became an EU member in May 2004 and began using the euro as currency in 2008.
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How big is Malta compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.

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