Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Angola, you would:
Health
live 1.5 years longer
In Angola, the average life expectancy is 65 years (62 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 66 years (63 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024.
see 5.5 times more spent on your healthcare
Angola spends $248 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
have 3.3 times more doctors per person
Angola has 2.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
have 91.9% more access to essential health services
Angola scores 37 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Africa scores 71 as of 2021.
be 10.8 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Angola, 1.6% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 17.2% of people as of 2024.
be 2.5 times more likely to be obese
In Angola, 12.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
be 2.7 times more likely to die by suicide
Angola has a suicide rate of 8.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 2.1 times more money
Angola has a GDP per capita of $3,129 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
be 2.3 times more likely to be unemployed
In Angola, 14.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
Life
be 35.5% less likely to die during childbirth
In Angola, approximately 183.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In South Africa, 118.0 women do as of 2023.
be 33.7% more likely to be literate
In Angola, the literacy rate is 68.2% as of 2023. In South Africa, it is 91.2% as of 2024.
be 24.6% less likely to die during infancy
In Angola, approximately 32.1 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In South Africa, on the other hand, 24.2 children do as of 2024.
have 50.3% fewer children
In Angola, there are approximately 37.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Africa, there are 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 71.6% more likely to have access to electricity
In Angola, approximately 51% of people have electricity access (78% in urban areas, and 6% in rural areas) as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 88% of people on average (91% in urban areas, and 94% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 92.5% more likely to have internet access
In Angola, approximately 40.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Africa, about 78.4% do as of 2024.
be 32.7% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Angola, approximately 68% of people have access to drinking water (82% in urban areas, and 37% in rural areas) as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 90% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 73% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.4 times more on education
Angola spends 2.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. South Africa spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 3.5 times more on healthcare
Angola spends 2.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 8.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 74.9% more coastline
Angola has a total of 1,600 km of coastline. In South Africa, that number is 2,798 km.
Safety
be 63.3% more likely to die in a road accident
In Angola, road accidents kill 15.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 14.9 times more home broadband
Angola has 0.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
use 8.6 times more electricity
Angola uses 379 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Africa uses 3,247 kWh as of 2023.
live with 36.1 times more strain on fresh water
Angola withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
Environment
be 21.7% less likely to die from air pollution
In Angola, air pollution causes 60.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
emit 9.3 times more CO2
Angola emits 0.7 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. South Africa emits 6.9 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Angola vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Angola? See an in-depth size comparison.