Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

live 10.4 years longer

In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 65 years (64 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2022. In Romania, that number is 76 years (72 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2022.

be 20.5% less likely to be obese

In South Africa, 28.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Romania, that number is 22.5% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 2.8 times more money

South Africa has a GDP per capita of $14,300 as of 2023, while in Romania, the GDP per capita is $40,500 as of 2023.

be 80.0% less likely to be unemployed

In South Africa, 28.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Romania, that number is 5.6% as of 2023.

pay a 64.4% lower top tax rate

South Africa has a top tax rate of 45.0% as of 2017. In Romania, the top tax rate is 16.0% as of 2016.

be 27.7% more likely to live below the poverty line

In South Africa, 16.6% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Romania, however, that number is 21.2% as of 2021.

Life

be 92.1% less likely to die during childbirth

In South Africa, approximately 127.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Romania, 10.0 women do as of 2020.

be 77.4% 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 Romania, on the other hand, 5.8 children do as of 2022.

have 52.0% fewer children

In South Africa, there are approximately 17.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Romania, there are 8.5 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 Romania, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

be 16.7% more likely to have internet access

In South Africa, approximately 72.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Romania, about 84.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 43.9% less on education

South Africa spends 6.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Romania spends 3.7% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 26.7% less on healthcare

South Africa spends 8.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Romania, that number is 6.3% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 92.0% less coastline

South Africa has a total of 2,798 km of coastline. In Romania, that number is 225 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, National Agency for Fiscal Administration (ANAF), South African Revenue Service.

Romania: At a glance

Romania is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 229,891 sq km. The principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia - for centuries under the suzerainty of the Turkish Ottoman Empire - secured their autonomy in 1856; they were de facto linked in 1859 and formally united in 1862 under the new name of Romania. The country gained recognition of its independence in 1878. It joined the Allied Powers in World War I and acquired new territories - most notably Transylvania - following the conflict. In 1940, Romania allied with the Axis powers and participated in the 1941 German invasion of the USSR. Three years later, overrun by the Soviets, Romania signed an armistice. The post-war Soviet occupation led to the formation of a communist "people's republic" in 1947 and the abdication of the king. The decades-long rule of dictator Nicolae CEAUSESCU, who took power in 1965, and his Securitate police state became increasingly oppressive and draconian through the 1980s. CEAUSESCU was overthrown and executed in late 1989. Former communists dominated the government until 1996 when they were swept from power. Romania joined NATO in 2004 and the EU in 2007.
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How big is Romania compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.

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