Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Czech Republic, you would:
Health
live 13.7 years less
In Czech Republic, the average life expectancy is 80 years (77 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.
be 20.7% more likely to be obese
In Czech Republic, 26.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
see 71.0% less spent on your healthcare
Czech Republic spends $4,674 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
have 81.8% fewer doctors per person
Czech Republic has 43.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
have 15.5% less access to essential health services
Czech Republic scores 84 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Africa scores 71 as of 2021.
be 67.3% more likely to die by suicide
Czech Republic has a suicide rate of 13.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 11.4 times more likely to be unemployed
In Czech Republic, 2.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
be 3.7 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Czech Republic, 10.2% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In South Africa, however, that number is 37.9% as of 2022.
make 81.6% less money
Czech Republic has a GDP per capita of $35,917 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.4 times more children
In Czech Republic, there are approximately 7.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Africa, there are 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 39.3 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Czech Republic, approximately 3.0 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 11.5 times more likely to die during infancy
In Czech Republic, approximately 2.1 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 Czech Republic, 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 10.6% less likely to have internet access
In Czech Republic, approximately 87.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Africa, about 78.4% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 40.0% more on education
Czech Republic spends 4.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. South Africa spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
Safety
be 56.8 times more likely to be murdered
Czech Republic has a homicide rate of 0.8 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 43.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 4.7 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Czech Republic, road accidents kill 5.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 86.2% less home broadband
Czech Republic has 38.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
live with 3.1 times more strain on fresh water
Czech Republic withdraws 22% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
use 44.7% less electricity
Czech Republic uses 5,877 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. South Africa uses 3,247 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 42.4% more likely to die from air pollution
In Czech Republic, air pollution causes 33.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Czech Republic vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Czech Republic? See an in-depth size comparison.