Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

live 11.5 years longer

In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 65 years (64 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2022. In Tunisia, that number is 77 years (75 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

be 46.0% less likely to be unemployed

In South Africa, 28.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Tunisia, that number is 15.1% as of 2023.

pay a 22.2% lower top tax rate

South Africa has a top tax rate of 45.0% as of 2017. In Tunisia, the top tax rate is 35.0% as of 2016.

make 14.0% less money

South Africa has a GDP per capita of $14,300 as of 2023, while in Tunisia, the GDP per capita is $12,300 as of 2023.

Life

be 70.9% less likely to die during childbirth

In South Africa, approximately 127.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Tunisia, 37.0 women do as of 2020.

be 54.1% 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 Tunisia, on the other hand, 11.9 children do as of 2022.

be 12.9% less likely to be literate

In South Africa, the literacy rate is 95.0% as of 2019. In Tunisia, it is 82.7% as of 2021.

have 23.7% fewer children

In South Africa, there are approximately 17.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Tunisia, there are 13.5 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 people have electricity access (87% in urban areas, and 92% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Tunisia, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2022.

Expenditures

spend 26.7% less on healthcare

South Africa spends 8.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Tunisia, that number is 6.3% of GDP as of 2020.

spend 10.6% more on education

South Africa spends 6.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Tunisia spends 7.3% of total GDP on education as of 2016.

Geography

see 59.0% less coastline

South Africa has a total of 2,798 km of coastline. In Tunisia, that number is 1,148 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, La Direction Générale des Impôts, Ministère des Finances, South African Revenue Service.

Tunisia: At a glance

Tunisia is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 155,360 sq km. Rivalry between French and Italian interests in Tunisia culminated in a French invasion in 1881 and the creation of a protectorate. Agitation for independence in the decades following World War I was finally successful in getting the French to recognize Tunisia as an independent state in 1956. The country's first president, Habib BOURGUIBA, established a strict one-party state. He dominated the country for 31 years, repressing Islamic fundamentalism and establishing rights for women unmatched by any other Arab nation. In November 1987, BOURGUIBA was removed from office and replaced by Zine el Abidine BEN ALI in a bloodless coup. Street protests that began in Tunis in December 2010 over high unemployment, corruption, widespread poverty, and high food prices escalated in January 2011, culminating in rioting that led to hundreds of deaths. On 14 January 2011, the same day BEN ALI dismissed the government, he fled the country, and by late January 2011, a "national unity government" was formed. Elections for the new Constituent Assembly were held in late October 2011, and in December, it elected human rights activist Moncef MARZOUKI as interim president. The Assembly began drafting a new constitution in February 2012 and, after several iterations and a months-long political crisis that stalled the transition, ratified the document in January 2014. Presidential and parliamentary elections for a permanent government could be held by the end of 2014.
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How big is Tunisia compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.

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