Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Turkmenistan instead of South Africa, you would:
Health
live 6.5 years longer
In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 65 years (64 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2022. In Turkmenistan, that number is 72 years (69 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2022.
be 34.3% less likely to be obese
In South Africa, 28.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Turkmenistan, that number is 18.6% of people as of 2016.
Economy
make 34.8% more money
South Africa has a GDP per capita of $11,500 as of 2020, while in Turkmenistan, the GDP per capita is $15,500 as of 2019.
be 61.4% less likely to be unemployed
In South Africa, 28.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2019. In Turkmenistan, that number is 11.0% as of 2014.
be 98.8% less likely to live below the poverty line
In South Africa, 16.6% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Turkmenistan, however, that number is 0.2% as of 2012.
Life
be 94.1% less likely to die during childbirth
In South Africa, approximately 119.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Turkmenistan, 7.0 women do as of 2017.
be 45.4% 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 Turkmenistan, on the other hand, 37.6 children do as of 2022.
Basic Needs
be 63.9% less likely to have internet access
In South Africa, approximately 70.0% of the population has internet access as of 2020. In Turkmenistan, about 25.3% do as of 2022.
Expenditures
spend 54.4% less on education
South Africa spends 6.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Turkmenistan spends 3.1% of total GDP on education as of 2019.
spend 27.5% less on healthcare
South Africa spends 9.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In Turkmenistan, that number is 6.6% of GDP as of 2019.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.
Turkmenistan: At a glance
How big is Turkmenistan compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.