Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Burundi, you would:
Health
live 2.5 years longer
In Burundi, the average life expectancy is 64 years (62 years for men, 66 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 13.5 times more spent on your healthcare
Burundi spends $100 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
have 10.2 times more doctors per person
Burundi has 0.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
have 73.2% more access to essential health services
Burundi scores 41 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Africa scores 71 as of 2021.
be 21.5 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Burundi, 0.8% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 17.2% of people as of 2024.
be 6.1 times more likely to be obese
In Burundi, 5.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
be 2.9 times more likely to die by suicide
Burundi has a suicide rate of 7.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 25.7% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Burundi, 51.0% live below the poverty line as of 2020. In South Africa, however, that number is 37.9% as of 2022.
make 28.2 times more money
Burundi has a GDP per capita of $234 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
be 35.2 times more likely to be unemployed
In Burundi, 0.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
Life
be 69.9% less likely to die during childbirth
In Burundi, approximately 392.0 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 22.0% more likely to be literate
In Burundi, the literacy rate is 74.7% as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 91.2% as of 2024.
be 20.7% less likely to die during infancy
In Burundi, approximately 30.5 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.
have 44.4% fewer children
In Burundi, there are approximately 33.2 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 7.6 times more likely to have access to electricity
In Burundi, approximately 12% of people have electricity access (65% in urban areas, and 2% 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 9.1 times more likely to have internet access
In Burundi, approximately 8.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Africa, about 78.4% do as of 2024.
be 36.8% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Burundi, approximately 66% of people have access to drinking water (91% in urban areas, and 61% 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 33.8% more on education
Burundi spends 4.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2025. South Africa spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
Safety
be 99.2% more likely to die in a road accident
In Burundi, road accidents kill 12.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 267.5 times more home broadband
Burundi has 0.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
live with 6.6 times more strain on fresh water
Burundi withdraws 10% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
Environment
be 33.8% less likely to die from air pollution
In Burundi, air pollution causes 71.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
emit 98.3 times more CO2
Burundi emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. South Africa emits 6.9 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Burundi vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Burundi? See an in-depth size comparison.