Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Bosnia and Herzegovina, you would:
Health
live 11.7 years less
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 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 51.5% more likely to be obese
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, 21.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
see 31.9% less spent on your healthcare
Bosnia and Herzegovina spends $1,989 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
have 69.3% fewer doctors per person
Bosnia and Herzegovina has 25.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2019. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
be 2.5 times more likely to die by suicide
Bosnia and Herzegovina has a suicide rate of 9.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 2.9 times more likely to be unemployed
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, 11.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
make 36.4% less money
Bosnia and Herzegovina has a GDP per capita of $10,382 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.4 times more children
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, there are approximately 7.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Africa, there are 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 19.7 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, approximately 6.0 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 4.4 times more likely to die during infancy
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, approximately 5.5 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 Bosnia and Herzegovina, 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 85.2% more on education
Bosnia and Herzegovina 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.
Geography
see 139.9 times more coastline
Bosnia and Herzegovina has a total of 20 km of coastline. In South Africa, that number is 2,798 km.
Safety
be 35.8 times more likely to be murdered
Bosnia and Herzegovina has a homicide rate of 1.2 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 43.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 78.8% more likely to die in a road accident
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, road accidents kill 13.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 81.8% less home broadband
Bosnia and Herzegovina has 29.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
live with 32.7 times more strain on fresh water
Bosnia and Herzegovina withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
use 11.7% less electricity
Bosnia and Herzegovina uses 3,677 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Africa uses 3,247 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 14.5% less likely to die from air pollution
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, air pollution causes 55.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. South Africa
MORE COMPARISONS
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Bosnia and Herzegovina? See an in-depth size comparison.