Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Armenia, you would:
Health
be 43.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Armenia, 0.4% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 17.2% of people as of 2024.
live 12.0 years less
In Armenia, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 years for men, 82 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.
be 27.2% more likely to be obese
In Armenia, 25.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
see 33.4% less spent on your healthcare
Armenia spends $2,033 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
have 76.4% fewer doctors per person
Armenia has 33.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
be 9.1 times more likely to die by suicide
Armenia has a suicide rate of 2.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 2.5 times more likely to be unemployed
In Armenia, 12.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
be 74.7% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Armenia, 21.7% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In South Africa, however, that number is 37.9% as of 2022.
make 30.4% less money
Armenia has a GDP per capita of $9,474 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
Life
have 66.5% more children
In Armenia, there are approximately 11.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Africa, there are 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 6.2 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Armenia, approximately 19.0 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 2.8 times more likely to die during infancy
In Armenia, approximately 8.5 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.
Basic Needs
be 12.3% less likely to have access to electricity
In Armenia, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% 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.
Expenditures
spend 2.5 times more on education
Armenia spends 2.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. South Africa spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
Safety
be 19.8 times more likely to be murdered
Armenia has a homicide rate of 2.2 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 43.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 80.1% more likely to die in a road accident
In Armenia, road accidents kill 13.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
use 36.1% more electricity
Armenia uses 2,386 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Africa uses 3,247 kWh as of 2023.
find 73.7% less home broadband
Armenia has 20.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
Environment
be 32.9% less likely to die from air pollution
In Armenia, air pollution causes 70.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
emit 2.8 times more CO2
Armenia emits 2.5 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). How we calculate this
Compare further: Armenia vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Armenia? See an in-depth size comparison.