Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Qatar 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 Qatar, that number is 0.1% of people as of 2020.

live 14.5 years longer

In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 65 years (64 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2022. In Qatar, that number is 80 years (78 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2022.

be 24.0% more likely to be obese

In South Africa, 28.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Qatar, that number is 35.1% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 7.9 times more money

South Africa has a GDP per capita of $14,300 as of 2023, while in Qatar, the GDP per capita is $113,200 as of 2022.

be 99.5% less likely to be unemployed

In South Africa, 28.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Qatar, that number is 0.1% as of 2023.

Life

be 93.7% less likely to die during childbirth

In South Africa, approximately 127.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Qatar, 8.0 women do as of 2020.

be 74.4% 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 Qatar, on the other hand, 6.6 children do as of 2022.

have 48.0% fewer children

In South Africa, there are approximately 17.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Qatar, there are 9.2 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 the population has electricity access as of 2022. In Qatar, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

be 38.9% more likely to have internet access

In South Africa, approximately 72.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Qatar, about 100.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 51.5% less on education

South Africa spends 6.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Qatar spends 3.2% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 51.2% less on healthcare

South Africa spends 8.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Qatar, that number is 4.2% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 79.9% less coastline

South Africa has a total of 2,798 km of coastline. In Qatar, that number is 563 km.

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

Qatar: At a glance

Qatar is a sovereign country in Middle East, with a total land area of approximately 11,586 sq km. Ruled by the Al Thani family since the mid-1800s, Qatar transformed itself from a poor British protectorate noted mainly for pearling into an independent state with significant oil and natural gas revenues. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Qatari economy was crippled by a continuous siphoning off of petroleum revenues by the Amir, who had ruled the country since 1972. His son, the current Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa Al Thani, overthrew the father in a bloodless coup in 1995. In short order, HAMAD oversaw the creation of the pan-Arab satellite news network Al-Jazeera and Qatar's pursuit of a leadership role in mediating regional conflicts. In the 2000s, Qatar resolved its longstanding border disputes with both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. As of 2007, oil and natural gas revenues had enabled Qatar to attain the highest per capita income in the world. Qatar has not experienced domestic unrest or violence like that seen in other Near Eastern and North African countries in 2010-11, due in part to its immense wealth. Since the outbreak of regional unrest, however, Doha has prided itself on its support for many of these popular revolutions, particularly in Libya and Syria. In mid-2013, HAMAD transferred power to his 33 year-old son, TAMIM bin Hamad - a peaceful abdication rare in the history of Arab Gulf states. TAMIM has prioritized improving the domestic welfare of Qataris, including establishing advanced healthcare and education systems and expanding the country's infrastructure in anticipation of Doha's hosting of the 2022 World Cup.
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How big is Qatar compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.

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