Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in United States instead of South Africa, you would:

Health

live 15.3 years longer

In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 65 years (64 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2022. In United States, that number is 81 years (78 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2022.

be 27.9% more likely to be obese

In South Africa, 28.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In United States, that number is 36.2% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 5.1 times more money

South Africa has a GDP per capita of $14,300 as of 2023, while in United States, the GDP per capita is $73,600 as of 2023.

be 87.0% less likely to be unemployed

In South Africa, 28.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In United States, that number is 3.6% as of 2023.

pay a 12.0% lower top tax rate

South Africa has a top tax rate of 45.0% as of 2017. In United States, the top tax rate is 39.6% as of 2016.

Life

be 83.5% less likely to die during childbirth

In South Africa, approximately 127.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In United States, 21.0 women do as of 2020.

be 80.0% 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 United States, on the other hand, 5.2 children do as of 2022.

have 31.1% fewer children

In South Africa, there are approximately 17.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United States, there are 12.2 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 the population has electricity access as of 2022. In United States, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

be 27.8% more likely to have internet access

In South Africa, approximately 72.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In United States, about 92.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 2.2 times more on healthcare

South Africa spends 8.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In United States, that number is 18.8% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 7.1 times more coastline

South Africa has a total of 2,798 km of coastline. In United States, that number is 19,924 km.

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

United States: At a glance

United States (sometimes abbreviated US or USA) is a sovereign country in North America, with a total land area of approximately 9,147,593 sq km. Britain's American colonies broke with the mother country in 1776 and were recognized as the new nation of the United States of America following the Treaty of Paris in 1783. During the 19th and 20th centuries, 37 new states were added to the original 13 as the nation expanded across the North American continent and acquired a number of overseas possessions. The two most traumatic experiences in the nation's history were the Civil War (1861-65), in which a northern Union of states defeated a secessionist Confederacy of 11 southern slave states, and the Great Depression of the 1930s, an economic downturn during which about a quarter of the labor force lost its jobs. Buoyed by victories in World Wars I and II and the end of the Cold War in 1991, the US remains the world's most powerful nation state. Since the end of World War II, the economy has achieved relatively steady growth, low unemployment and inflation, and rapid advances in technology.
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How big is United States compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.

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