Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 93.7% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In South Africa, 19.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Russia, that number is 1.2% of people as of 2017.

live 7.1 years longer

In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 65 years (64 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2022. In Russia, that number is 72 years (67 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2022.

be 18.4% less likely to be obese

In South Africa, 28.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Russia, that number is 23.1% 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 Russia, the GDP per capita is $39,800 as of 2023.

be 88.1% less likely to be unemployed

In South Africa, 28.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Russia, that number is 3.3% as of 2023.

be 33.7% less likely to live below the poverty line

In South Africa, 16.6% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Russia, however, that number is 11.0% as of 2021.

pay a 71.1% lower top tax rate

South Africa has a top tax rate of 45.0% as of 2017. In Russia, the top tax rate is 13.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 89.0% less likely to die during childbirth

In South Africa, approximately 127.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Russia, 14.0 women do as of 2020.

be 75.2% 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 Russia, on the other hand, 6.4 children do as of 2022.

have 52.5% fewer children

In South Africa, there are approximately 17.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Russia, there are 8.4 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 Russia, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

be 22.2% more likely to have internet access

In South Africa, approximately 72.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Russia, about 88.0% 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. Russia spends 3.7% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 11.6% less on healthcare

South Africa spends 8.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Russia, that number is 7.6% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 13.5 times more coastline

South Africa has a total of 2,798 km of coastline. In Russia, that number is 37,653 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Federal Tax Service of Russia, The World Factbook, South African Revenue Service.

Russia: At a glance

Russia is a sovereign country in Central Asia, with a total land area of approximately 16,377,742 sq km. Founded in the 12th century, the Principality of Muscovy, was able to emerge from over 200 years of Mongol domination (13th-15th centuries) and to gradually conquer and absorb surrounding principalities. In the early 17th century, a new ROMANOV Dynasty continued this policy of expansion across Siberia to the Pacific. Under PETER I (ruled 1682-1725), hegemony was extended to the Baltic Sea and the country was renamed the Russian Empire. During the 19th century, more territorial acquisitions were made in Europe and Asia. Defeat in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05 contributed to the Revolution of 1905, which resulted in the formation of a parliament and other reforms. Repeated devastating defeats of the Russian army in World War I led to widespread rioting in the major cities of the Russian Empire and to the overthrow in 1917 of the imperial household. The communists under Vladimir LENIN seized power soon after and formed the USSR. The brutal rule of Iosif STALIN (1928-53) strengthened communist rule and Russian dominance of the Soviet Union at a cost of tens of millions of lives. The Soviet economy and society stagnated in the following decades until General Secretary Mikhail GORBACHEV (1985-91) introduced glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) in an attempt to modernize communism, but his initiatives inadvertently released forces that by December 1991 splintered the USSR into Russia and 14 other independent republics. Since then, Russia has shifted its post-Soviet democratic ambitions in favor of a centralized semi-authoritarian state in which the leadership seeks to legitimize its rule through managed national elections, populist appeals by President PUTIN, and continued economic growth. Russia has severely disabled a Chechen rebel movement, although violence still occurs throughout the North Caucasus.
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How big is Russia compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.

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