Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Colombia, you would:
Health
be 28.7 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Colombia, 0.6% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 17.2% of people as of 2024.
live 11.6 years less
In Colombia, 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 27.6% more likely to be obese
In Colombia, 24.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
see 23.0% less spent on your healthcare
Colombia spends $1,758 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
have 68.7% fewer doctors per person
Colombia has 25.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
have 11.2% less access to essential health services
Colombia scores 80 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Africa scores 71 as of 2021.
be 4.5 times more likely to die by suicide
Colombia has a suicide rate of 5.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 3.9 times more likely to be unemployed
In Colombia, 8.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
be 19.2% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Colombia, 31.8% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In South Africa, however, that number is 37.9% as of 2022.
make 22.9% less money
Colombia has a GDP per capita of $8,562 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
Life
have 39.5% more children
In Colombia, there are approximately 13.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Africa, there are 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 100.0% more likely to die during childbirth
In Colombia, approximately 59.0 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 2.3 times more likely to die during infancy
In Colombia, approximately 10.5 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 11.1% less likely to have access to electricity
In Colombia, approximately 99% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 95% 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.
Geography
see 12.8% less coastline
Colombia has a total of 3,208 km of coastline. In South Africa, that number is 2,798 km.
Safety
be 75.5% more likely to be murdered
Colombia has a homicide rate of 24.9 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 43.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 27.2% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Colombia, 51% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2022. In South Africa, that number is 37% as of 2022.
be 51.2% more likely to die in a road accident
In Colombia, road accidents kill 16.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
use 2.1 times more electricity
Colombia uses 1,551 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. South Africa uses 3,247 kWh as of 2023.
find 68.9% less home broadband
Colombia has 17.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
live with 18.6 times more strain on fresh water
Colombia withdraws 4% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
Environment
be 95.8% more likely to die from air pollution
In Colombia, air pollution causes 24.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
emit 3.8 times more CO2
Colombia emits 1.8 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: Colombia vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Colombia? See an in-depth size comparison.