Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 9.9 years longer

In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 65 years (64 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2022. In Samoa, that number is 75 years (72 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2022.

be 67.1% more likely to be obese

In South Africa, 28.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Samoa, that number is 47.3% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 65.2% less likely to be unemployed

In South Africa, 28.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Samoa, that number is 9.8% as of 2023.

pay a 40.0% lower top tax rate

South Africa has a top tax rate of 45.0% as of 2017. In Samoa, the top tax rate is 27.0% as of 2016.

make 58.0% less money

South Africa has a GDP per capita of $14,300 as of 2023, while in Samoa, the GDP per capita is $6,000 as of 2023.

be 31.9% more likely to live below the poverty line

In South Africa, 16.6% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Samoa, however, that number is 21.9% as of 2018.

Life

be 53.5% less likely to die during childbirth

In South Africa, approximately 127.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Samoa, 59.0 women do as of 2020.

be 34.3% 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 Samoa, on the other hand, 17.0 children do as of 2020.

Basic Needs

be 13.6% 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 Samoa, that number is 98% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 98% in rural areas) as of 2022.

Expenditures

spend 27.3% less on education

South Africa spends 6.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Samoa spends 4.8% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 38.4% less on healthcare

South Africa spends 8.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Samoa, that number is 5.3% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 85.6% less coastline

South Africa has a total of 2,798 km of coastline. In Samoa, that number is 403 km.

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

Samoa: At a glance

Samoa is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 2,821 sq km. New Zealand occupied the German protectorate of Western Samoa at the outbreak of World War I in 1914. It continued to administer the islands as a mandate and then as a trust territory until 1962, when the islands became the first Polynesian nation to reestablish independence in the 20th century. The country dropped the "Western" from its name in 1997.
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How big is Samoa compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.

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