Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Saint Lucia instead of South Africa, you would:

Health

be 96.9% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In South Africa, 19.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Saint Lucia, that number is 0.6% of people as of 2018.

live 13.6 years longer

In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 65 years (64 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2022. In Saint Lucia, that number is 79 years (76 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2022.

be 30.4% less likely to be obese

In South Africa, 28.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Saint Lucia, that number is 19.7% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 11.9% more money

South Africa has a GDP per capita of $13,500 as of 2022, while in Saint Lucia, the GDP per capita is $15,100 as of 2022.

be 45.3% less likely to be unemployed

In South Africa, 28.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Saint Lucia, that number is 15.8% as of 2022.

be 50.6% more likely to live below the poverty line

In South Africa, 16.6% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Saint Lucia, however, that number is 25.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 42.5% less likely to die during childbirth

In South Africa, approximately 127.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Saint Lucia, 73.0 women do as of 2020.

be 53.7% 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 Saint Lucia, on the other hand, 12.0 children do as of 2022.

have 35.6% fewer children

In South Africa, there are approximately 17.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Saint Lucia, there are 11.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 12.0% more likely to have access to electricity

In South Africa, approximately 89% of people have electricity access (87% in urban areas, and 92% in rural areas) as of 2021. In Saint Lucia, that number is 100% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 45.5% less on education

South Africa spends 6.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Saint Lucia spends 3.6% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 22.1% less on healthcare

South Africa spends 8.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Saint Lucia, that number is 6.7% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 94.4% less coastline

South Africa has a total of 2,798 km of coastline. In Saint Lucia, that number is 158 km.

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

Saint Lucia: At a glance

Saint Lucia is a sovereign country in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 606 sq km. The island, with its fine natural harbor at Castries, was contested between England and France throughout the 17th and early 18th centuries (changing possession 14 times); it was finally ceded to the UK in 1814. Even after the abolition of slavery on its plantations in 1834, Saint Lucia remained an agricultural island, dedicated to producing tropical commodity crops. Self-government was granted in 1967 and independence in 1979.
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How big is Saint Lucia compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.

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