Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Bahrain, you would:
Health
be 172.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Bahrain, 0.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 17.2% of people as of 2024.
live 15.1 years less
In Bahrain, the average life expectancy is 81 years (81 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.
see 47.0% less spent on your healthcare
Bahrain spends $2,555 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
be 4.8 times more likely to die by suicide
Bahrain has a suicide rate of 4.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 29.4 times more likely to be unemployed
In Bahrain, 1.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
make 78.4% less money
Bahrain has a GDP per capita of $30,597 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
Life
have 53.6% more children
In Bahrain, there are approximately 12.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Africa, there are 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 6.9 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Bahrain, approximately 17.0 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 3.3 times more likely to die during infancy
In Bahrain, approximately 7.3 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 Bahrain, 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.
be 21.6% less likely to have internet access
In Bahrain, approximately 100.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Africa, about 78.4% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 3.2 times more on education
Bahrain spends 1.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. South Africa spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 2.2 times more on healthcare
Bahrain spends 4.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 8.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 17.4 times more coastline
Bahrain has a total of 161 km of coastline. In South Africa, that number is 2,798 km.
Safety
be 218.6 times more likely to be murdered
Bahrain has a homicide rate of 0.2 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In South Africa, that number is 43.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 3.0 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Bahrain, road accidents kill 8.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 49.4% less strain on fresh water
Bahrain withdraws 134% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
find 68.5% less home broadband
Bahrain has 17.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
use 86.0% less electricity
Bahrain uses 23,120 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Africa uses 3,247 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 30.9% less likely to die from air pollution
In Bahrain, air pollution causes 68.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
emit 71.2% less CO2
Bahrain emits 23.9 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), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Bahrain vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Bahrain? See an in-depth size comparison.