Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 99.0% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In South Africa, 19.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Sudan, that number is 0.2% of people as of 2020.

live 1.8 years longer

In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 65 years (64 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2022. In Sudan, that number is 67 years (65 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2022.

be 76.7% less likely to be obese

In South Africa, 28.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Sudan, that number is 6.6% of people as of 2014.

Economy

be 59.1% less likely to be unemployed

In South Africa, 28.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Sudan, that number is 11.4% as of 2023.

pay a 66.7% lower top tax rate

South Africa has a top tax rate of 45.0% as of 2017. In Sudan, the top tax rate is 15.0% as of 2015.

make 80.4% less money

South Africa has a GDP per capita of $14,300 as of 2023, while in Sudan, the GDP per capita is $2,800 as of 2023.

be 2.8 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In South Africa, 16.6% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Sudan, however, that number is 46.5% as of 2009.

Life

have 87.0% more children

In South Africa, there are approximately 17.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Sudan, there are 33.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 2.1 times more likely to die during childbirth

In South Africa, approximately 127.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Sudan, 270.0 women do as of 2020.

be 36.1% less likely to be literate

In South Africa, the literacy rate is 95.0% as of 2019. In Sudan, it is 60.7% as of 2018.

be 63.4% more 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 Sudan, on the other hand, 42.3 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 26.9% less 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 Sudan, that number is 63% of people on average (84% in urban areas, and 49% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 60.0% less likely to have internet access

In South Africa, approximately 72.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Sudan, about 28.8% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 66.7% less on education

South Africa spends 6.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Sudan spends 2.2% of total GDP on education as of 2009.

spend 65.1% less on healthcare

South Africa spends 8.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Sudan, that number is 3.0% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 69.5% less coastline

South Africa has a total of 2,798 km of coastline. In Sudan, that number is 853 km.

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

Sudan: At a glance

Sudan is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 1,731,671 sq km. Military regimes favoring Islamic-oriented governments have dominated national politics since independence from Anglo-Egyptian co rule in 1956. Sudan was embroiled in two prolonged civil wars during most of the remainder of the 20th century. These conflicts were rooted in northern economic, political, and social domination of largely non-Muslim, non-Arab southern Sudanese. The first civil war ended in 1972 but another broke out in 1983. Peace talks gained momentum in 2002-04 with the signing of several accords. The final North/South Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), signed in January 2005, granted the southern rebels autonomy for six years followed by a referendum on independence for Southern Sudan. The referendum was held in January 2011 and indicated overwhelming support for independence. South Sudan became independent on 9 July 2011. Sudan and South Sudan have yet to fully implement security and economic agreements signed on September 27, 2012 relating to the normalization of relations between the two countries. The final disposition of the contested Abyei region has also to be decided. Since South Sudan's independence, conflict has broken out between the government and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states, which has resulted in 1.2 million internally displaced persons or severely affected persons in need of humanitarian assistance. A separate conflict, which broke out in the western region of Darfur in 2003, has displaced nearly two million people and caused an estimated 200,000 to 400,000 deaths. Violence in Darfur in 2013 resulted in an additional estimated 6,000 civilians killed and 500,000 displaced. The UN and the African Union have jointly commanded a Darfur peacekeeping operation known as the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) since 2007. Peacekeeping troops have struggled to stabilize the situation and have increasingly become targets for attacks by armed groups. In 2013, 16 peacekeepers were killed, UNAMID's deadliest year so far. Sudan also has faced refugee influxes from neighboring countries, primarily Ethiopia, Eritrea, Chad, Central African Republic, and South Sudan. Armed conflict, poor transport infrastructure, and government denial of access have impeded the provision of humanitarian assistance to affected populations.
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