Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

live 9.0 years longer

In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 65 years (64 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2022. In Syria, that number is 74 years (73 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

be 52.1% less likely to be unemployed

In South Africa, 28.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Syria, that number is 13.8% as of 2022.

pay a 51.1% lower top tax rate

South Africa has a top tax rate of 45.0% as of 2017. In Syria, the top tax rate is 22.0% as of 2016.

make 78.5% less money

South Africa has a GDP per capita of $13,500 as of 2022, while in Syria, the GDP per capita is $2,900 as of 2015.

be 5.0 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In South Africa, 16.6% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Syria, however, that number is 82.5% as of 2014.

Life

be 76.4% less likely to die during childbirth

In South Africa, approximately 127.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Syria, 30.0 women do as of 2020.

be 38.7% 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 Syria, on the other hand, 15.9 children do as of 2022.

have 22.6% more children

In South Africa, there are approximately 17.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Syria, there are 21.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 35.3% less likely to have internet access

In South Africa, approximately 72.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Syria, about 46.6% do as of 2022.

Expenditures

spend 22.7% less on education

South Africa spends 6.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Syria spends 5.1% of total GDP on education as of 2009.

Geography

see 93.1% less coastline

South Africa has a total of 2,798 km of coastline. In Syria, that number is 193 km.

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

Syria: At a glance

Syria is a sovereign country in Middle East, with a total land area of approximately 185,887 sq km. Following World War I, France acquired a mandate over the northern portion of the former Ottoman Empire province of Syria. The French administered the area as Syria until granting it independence in 1946. The new country lacked political stability, however, and experienced a series of military coups during its first decades. Syria united with Egypt in February 1958 to form the United Arab Republic. In September 1961, the two entities separated, and the Syrian Arab Republic was reestablished. In November 1970, Hafiz al-ASAD, a member of the socialist Ba'th Party and the minority Alawi sect, seized power in a bloodless coup and brought political stability to the country. In the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Syria lost the Golan Heights to Israel. During the 1990s, Syria and Israel held occasional peace talks over its return. Following the death of President al-ASAD, his son, Bashar al-ASAD, was approved as president by popular referendum in July 2000. Syrian troops - stationed in Lebanon since 1976 in an ostensible peacekeeping role - were withdrawn in April 2005. During the July-August 2006 conflict between Israel and Hizballah, Syria placed its military forces on alert but did not intervene directly on behalf of its ally Hizballah. In May 2007 Bashar al-ASAD's second term as president was approved by popular referendum. Influenced by major uprisings that began elsewhere in the region, antigovernment protests broke out in the southern province of Dar'a in March 2011 with protesters calling for the repeal of the restrictive Emergency Law allowing arrests without charge, the legalization of political parties, and the removal of corrupt local officials. Since then demonstrations and unrest have spread to nearly every city in Syria, but the size and intensity of protests have fluctuated over time. The government responded to unrest with a mix of concessions - including the repeal of the Emergency Law and approving new laws permitting new political parties and liberalizing local and national elections - and force. However, the government's response has failed to meet opposition demands for ASAD to step down, and the government's ongoing security operations to quell unrest and widespread armed opposition activity have led to extended violent clashes between government forces and oppositionists. International pressure on the ASAD regime has intensified since late 2011, as the Arab League, EU, Turkey, and the United States have expanded economic sanctions against the regime. Lakhdar BRAHIMI, current Joint Special Representative of the United Nations and the League of Arab States on the Syrian crisis, in October 2012 began meeting with regional heads of state to assist in brokering a cease-fire. In December 2012, the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces was recognized by more than 130 countries as the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people. Unrest persisted in 2013, and the death toll among Syrian Government forces, opposition forces, and civilians has topped 100,000. In January 2014, the Syrian Opposition Coalition and Syrian regime began peace talks at the UN sponsored Geneva II conference.
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