Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Benin, you would:
Health
live 5.4 years longer
In Benin, the average life expectancy is 61 years (60 years for men, 62 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 9.8 times more spent on your healthcare
Benin spends $138 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
have 3.7 times more doctors per person
Benin has 2.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
have 86.8% more access to essential health services
Benin scores 38 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Africa scores 71 as of 2021.
be 24.6 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Benin, 0.7% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 17.2% of people as of 2024.
be 2.6 times more likely to be obese
In Benin, 12.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
be 3.1 times more likely to die by suicide
Benin has a suicide rate of 7.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 4.0 times more money
Benin has a GDP per capita of $1,658 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
be 20.4 times more likely to be unemployed
In Benin, 1.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
Life
be 77.2% less likely to die during childbirth
In Benin, approximately 518.0 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 77.4% more likely to be literate
In Benin, the literacy rate is 51.4% as of 2022. In South Africa, it is 91.2% as of 2024.
be 46.5% less likely to die during infancy
In Benin, approximately 45.2 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 44.7% fewer children
In Benin, there are approximately 33.4 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 53.9% more likely to have access to electricity
In Benin, approximately 57% of people have electricity access (70% in urban areas, and 44% 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 2.3 times more likely to have internet access
In Benin, approximately 34.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Africa, about 78.4% do as of 2024.
be 29.6% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Benin, approximately 70% of people have access to drinking water (76% in urban areas, and 63% 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 86.4% more on education
Benin spends 3.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. South Africa spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 2.7 times more on healthcare
Benin spends 3.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 8.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 23.1 times more coastline
Benin has a total of 121 km of coastline. In South Africa, that number is 2,798 km.
Infrastructure
find 19.1 times more home broadband
Benin has 0.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
use 28.3 times more electricity
Benin uses 115 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Africa uses 3,247 kWh as of 2023.
live with 69.0 times more strain on fresh water
Benin withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
Environment
be 39.0% less likely to die from air pollution
In Benin, air pollution causes 77.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
emit 14.0 times more CO2
Benin emits 0.5 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), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Benin vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Benin? See an in-depth size comparison.