Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Cambodia, you would:
Health
see 3.9 times more spent on your healthcare
Cambodia spends $350 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
have 3.8 times more doctors per person
Cambodia has 2.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2019. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
have 22.4% more access to essential health services
Cambodia scores 58 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Africa scores 71 as of 2021.
be 34.4 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Cambodia, 0.5% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 17.2% of people as of 2024.
live 4.5 years less
In Cambodia, the average life expectancy is 71 years (68 years for men, 73 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 6.5 times more likely to be obese
In Cambodia, 4.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
be 5.0 times more likely to die by suicide
Cambodia has a suicide rate of 4.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 2.3 times more money
Cambodia has a GDP per capita of $2,872 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
be 124.6 times more likely to be unemployed
In Cambodia, 0.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
Life
be 26.7% more likely to be literate
In Cambodia, the literacy rate is 71.9% as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 91.2% as of 2024.
be 47.6% more likely to die during infancy
In Cambodia, approximately 16.4 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 14.4% more likely to have internet access
In Cambodia, approximately 68.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Africa, about 78.4% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.8 times more on education
Cambodia spends 2.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. South Africa spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 92.9% more on healthcare
Cambodia spends 4.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 8.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 6.3 times more coastline
Cambodia has a total of 443 km of coastline. In South Africa, that number is 2,798 km.
Safety
be 30.3% more likely to die in a road accident
In Cambodia, road accidents kill 18.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 28.9% more home broadband
Cambodia has 4.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
use 3.5 times more electricity
Cambodia uses 932 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Africa uses 3,247 kWh as of 2023.
live with 65.0 times more strain on fresh water
Cambodia withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
Environment
be 21.7% less likely to die from air pollution
In Cambodia, air pollution causes 60.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
emit 6.3 times more CO2
Cambodia emits 1.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. South Africa emits 6.9 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Cambodia vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Cambodia? See an in-depth size comparison.