Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 21.8% less likely to be obese

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

live 15.3 years less

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

Economy

make 80.6% less money

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

be 7.7 times more likely to be unemployed

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

pay a 13.6% higher top tax rate

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

Life

have 45.1% more children

In United States, there are approximately 12.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Africa, there are 17.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 6.0 times more likely to die during childbirth

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

be 5.0 times more likely to die during infancy

In United States, approximately 5.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In South Africa, on the other hand, 25.9 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 13.5% less likely to have access to electricity

In United States, approximately 100% of the population has electricity access as of 2022. In South Africa, 86% of the population do as of 2022.

be 21.7% less likely to have internet access

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

Expenditures

spend 54.3% less on healthcare

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

Geography

see 86.0% less coastline

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

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

South Africa: At a glance

South Africa (sometimes abbreviated RSA) is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 1,214,470 sq km. Dutch traders landed at the southern tip of modern day South Africa in 1652 and established a stopover point on the spice route between the Netherlands and the Far East, founding the city of Cape Town. After the British seized the Cape of Good Hope area in 1806, many of the Dutch settlers (the Boers) trekked north to found their own republics. The discovery of diamonds (1867) and gold (1886) spurred wealth and immigration and intensified the subjugation of the native inhabitants. The Boers resisted British encroachments but were defeated in the Second Anglo Boer War (1899-1902); however, the British and the Afrikaners, as the Boers became known, ruled together beginning in 1910 under the Union of South Africa, which became a republic in 1961 after a whites-only referendum. In 1948, the National Party was voted into power and instituted a policy of apartheid - the separate development of the races - which favored the white minority at the expense of the black majority. The African National Congress (ANC) led the opposition to apartheid and many top ANC leaders, such as Nelson MANDELA, spent decades in South Africa's prisons. Internal protests and insurgency, as well as boycotts by some Western nations and institutions, led to the regime's eventual willingness to negotiate a peaceful transition to majority rule. The first multi-racial elections in 1994 brought an end to apartheid and ushered in majority rule under an ANC-led government. South Africa since then has struggled to address apartheid-era imbalances in decent housing, education, and health care. ANC infighting, which has grown in recent years, came to a head in September 2008 when President Thabo MBEKI resigned, and Kgalema MOTLANTHE, the party's General-Secretary, succeeded him as interim president. Jacob ZUMA became president after the ANC won general elections in April 2009. National presidential and parliamentary elections are scheduled for May 2014.
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How big is South Africa compared to United States? See an in-depth size comparison.

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