Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Marshall Islands instead of South Africa, you would:

Health

live 9.3 years longer

In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 65 years (64 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2022. In Marshall Islands, that number is 75 years (72 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2022.

be 86.9% more likely to be obese

In South Africa, 28.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Marshall Islands, that number is 52.9% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 56.6% less likely to live below the poverty line

In South Africa, 16.6% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Marshall Islands, however, that number is 7.2% as of 2019.

make 52.4% less money

South Africa has a GDP per capita of $14,300 as of 2023, while in Marshall Islands, the GDP per capita is $6,800 as of 2023.

be 28.6% more likely to be unemployed

In South Africa, 28.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Marshall Islands, that number is 36.0% as of 2006.

Life

be 16.3% 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 Marshall Islands, on the other hand, 21.7 children do as of 2022.

have 19.8% more children

In South Africa, there are approximately 17.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Marshall Islands, there are 21.2 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 people have electricity access (87% in urban areas, and 92% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Marshall Islands, that number is 100% of people on average (96% in urban areas, and 92% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 46.2% less likely to have internet access

In South Africa, approximately 72.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Marshall Islands, about 38.7% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 2.1 times more on education

South Africa spends 6.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Marshall Islands spends 13.6% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 51.2% more on healthcare

South Africa spends 8.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Marshall Islands, that number is 13.0% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 86.8% less coastline

South Africa has a total of 2,798 km of coastline. In Marshall Islands, that number is 370 km.

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

Marshall Islands: At a glance

Marshall Islands (sometimes abbreviated RMI) is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 181 sq km. After almost four decades under US administration as the easternmost part of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, the Marshall Islands attained independence in 1986 under a Compact of Free Association. Compensation claims continue as a result of US nuclear testing on some of the atolls between 1947 and 1962. The Marshall Islands hosts the US Army Kwajalein Atoll (USAKA) Reagan Missile Test Site, a key installation in the US missile defense network.
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How big is Marshall Islands compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.

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