Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Chad, you would:
Health
live 11.1 years longer
In Chad, the average life expectancy is 55 years (53 years for men, 57 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 10.4 times more spent on your healthcare
Chad spends $130 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
have 9.3 times more doctors per person
Chad has 0.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
have 2.4 times more access to essential health services
Chad scores 29 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Africa scores 71 as of 2021.
be 19.1 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Chad, 0.9% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 17.2% of people as of 2024.
be 4.3 times more likely to be obese
In Chad, 7.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
be 4.3 times more likely to die by suicide
Chad has a suicide rate of 5.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 15.4% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Chad, 44.8% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In South Africa, however, that number is 37.9% as of 2022.
make 6.5 times more money
Chad has a GDP per capita of $1,022 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
be 30.6 times more likely to be unemployed
In Chad, 1.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
Life
be 84.2% less likely to die during childbirth
In Chad, approximately 748.0 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 3.4 times more likely to be literate
In Chad, the literacy rate is 26.8% as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 91.2% as of 2024.
be 57.0% less likely to die during infancy
In Chad, approximately 56.3 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.
have 57.3% fewer children
In Chad, there are approximately 43.3 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 7.3 times more likely to have access to electricity
In Chad, approximately 12% of people have electricity access (48% in urban areas, and 0% 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 6.2 times more likely to have internet access
In Chad, approximately 12.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Africa, about 78.4% do as of 2024.
be 72.7% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Chad, approximately 52% of people have access to drinking water (78% in urban areas, and 44% 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 88.1% more on education
Chad 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 78.2% more on healthcare
Chad spends 5.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 8.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Infrastructure
use 236.7 times more electricity
Chad uses 14 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Africa uses 3,247 kWh as of 2023.
live with 15.8 times more strain on fresh water
Chad withdraws 4% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
Environment
be 50.5% less likely to die from air pollution
In Chad, air pollution causes 95.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
emit 49.1 times more CO2
Chad 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 (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Chad vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Chad? See an in-depth size comparison.