Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 9.8 years longer

In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 65 years (64 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2022. In Vanuatu, that number is 75 years (73 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2022.

be 11.0% less likely to be obese

In South Africa, 28.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Vanuatu, that number is 25.2% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 81.8% less likely to be unemployed

In South Africa, 28.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Vanuatu, that number is 5.1% as of 2023.

make 79.0% less money

South Africa has a GDP per capita of $14,300 as of 2023, while in Vanuatu, the GDP per capita is $3,000 as of 2023.

Life

be 26.0% less likely to die during childbirth

In South Africa, approximately 127.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Vanuatu, 94.0 women do as of 2020.

be 44.6% 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 Vanuatu, on the other hand, 14.3 children do as of 2022.

have 17.5% more children

In South Africa, there are approximately 17.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Vanuatu, there are 20.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 19.1% 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 Vanuatu, that number is 70% of people on average (97% in urban areas, and 61% in rural areas) as of 2022.

Expenditures

spend 65.2% less on education

South Africa spends 6.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Vanuatu spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 53.5% less on healthcare

South Africa spends 8.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Vanuatu, that number is 4.0% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Vanuatu: At a glance

Vanuatu is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 12,189 sq km. Multiple waves of colonizers, each speaking a distinct language, migrated to the New Hebrides in the millennia preceding European exploration in the 18th century. This settlement pattern accounts for the complex linguistic diversity found on the archipelago to this day. The British and French, who settled the New Hebrides in the 19th century, agreed in 1906 to an Anglo-French Condominium, which administered the islands until independence in 1980, when the new name of Vanuatu was adopted.
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How big is Vanuatu compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.

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