Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Chile, you would:
Health
be 21.5% less likely to be obese
In Chile, 40.5% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
be 24.6 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Chile, 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.
live 15.0 years less
In Chile, the average life expectancy is 81 years (79 years for men, 83 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 62.5% less spent on your healthcare
Chile spends $3,612 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
have 76.2% fewer doctors per person
Chile has 33.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
have 13.4% less access to essential health services
Chile scores 82 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Africa scores 71 as of 2021.
be 2.9 times more likely to die by suicide
Chile 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 3.6 times more likely to be unemployed
In Chile, 9.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
be 5.8 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Chile, 6.5% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In South Africa, however, that number is 37.9% as of 2022.
make 63.3% less money
Chile has a GDP per capita of $17,995 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.1 times more children
In Chile, there are approximately 8.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Africa, there are 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 11.8 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Chile, approximately 10.0 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 4.2 times more likely to die during infancy
In Chile, approximately 5.8 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 Chile, 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.
be 18.0% less likely to have internet access
In Chile, approximately 95.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Africa, about 78.4% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 15.4% less on healthcare
Chile spends 10.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 8.9% of GDP as of 2023.
spend 22.6% more on education
Chile spends 4.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. South Africa spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
Geography
see 56.5% less coastline
Chile has a total of 6,435 km of coastline. In South Africa, that number is 2,798 km.
Safety
be 14.6% more likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Chile, 32% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2021. In South Africa, that number is 37% as of 2022.
be 6.9 times more likely to be murdered
Chile has a homicide rate of 6.3 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 43.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 2.4 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Chile, road accidents kill 10.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 77.5% less home broadband
Chile has 23.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
live with 7.5 times more strain on fresh water
Chile withdraws 9% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
use 25.8% less electricity
Chile uses 4,373 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. South Africa uses 3,247 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 2.6 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Chile, air pollution causes 18.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
emit 74.6% more CO2
Chile emits 3.9 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 (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Chile vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Chile? See an in-depth size comparison.