Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Western Sahara instead of South Africa, you would:

Health

live 0.8 years less

In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 65 years (64 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2022. In Western Sahara, that number is 64 years (62 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2020.

Economy

make 82.5% less money

South Africa has a GDP per capita of $14,300 as of 2023, while in Western Sahara, the GDP per capita is $2,500 as of 2007.

Life

have 58.2% more children

In South Africa, there are approximately 17.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Western Sahara, there are 28.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2020.

be 85.2% 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 Western Sahara, on the other hand, 47.9 children do as of 2020.

Geography

see 60.3% less coastline

South Africa has a total of 2,798 km of coastline. In Western Sahara, that number is 1,110 km.

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

Western Sahara: At a glance

Western Sahara is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 266,000 sq km. Western Sahara is a disputed territory on the northwest coast of Africa bordered by Morocco, Mauritania, and Algeria. After Spain withdrew from its former colony of Spanish Sahara in 1976, Morocco annexed the northern two-thirds of Western Sahara and claimed the rest of the territory in 1979, following Mauritania's withdrawal. A guerrilla war with the Polisario Front contesting Morocco's sovereignty ended in a 1991 cease-fire and the establishment of a UN peacekeeping operation. As part of this effort, the UN sought to offer a choice to the peoples of the Western Sahara between independence (favored by the Polisario Front) or integration into Morocco. A proposed referendum never took place due to lack of agreement on voter eligibility. The 2,700 km- (1,700 mi-) long defensive sand berm, built by the Moroccans from 1980 to 1987 and running the length of the territory, continues to separate the opposing forces with Morocco controlling the roughly 80 percent of the territory west of the berm. Local demonstrations criticizing the Moroccan authorities occur regularly, and there are periodic ethnic tensions between the native Sahrawi population and Moroccan immigrants. Morocco maintains a heavy security presence in the territory.
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How big is Western Sahara compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.

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