Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Democratic Republic of the Congo, you would:
Health
live 4.2 years longer
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, the average life expectancy is 62 years (60 years for men, 64 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 23.4 times more spent on your healthcare
Democratic Republic of the Congo spends $58 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
Democratic Republic of the Congo has 2.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
have 69.0% more access to essential health services
Democratic Republic of the Congo scores 42 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Africa scores 71 as of 2021.
be 24.6 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 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.
be 4.8 times more likely to be obese
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 6.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
be 2.5 times more likely to die by suicide
Democratic Republic of the Congo has a suicide rate of 8.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 32.6% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 56.2% live below the poverty line as of 2020. In South Africa, however, that number is 37.9% as of 2022.
make 8.2 times more money
Democratic Republic of the Congo has a GDP per capita of $807 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
be 7.3 times more likely to be unemployed
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 4.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
Life
be 72.4% less likely to die during childbirth
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 427.0 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 33.1% more likely to be literate
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, the literacy rate is 68.5% as of 2023. In South Africa, it is 91.2% as of 2024.
be 57.1% less likely to die during infancy
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 56.4 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.
have 54.8% fewer children
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, there are approximately 40.9 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 4.0 times more likely to have access to electricity
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 22% of people have electricity access (56% in urban areas, and 1% 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 4.0 times more likely to have internet access
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 19.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Africa, about 78.4% do as of 2024.
be 2.5 times more likely to have access to drinking water
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 36% of people have access to drinking water (59% in urban areas, and 14% 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 2.1 times more on education
Democratic Republic of the Congo spends 2.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. South Africa spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 2.4 times more on healthcare
Democratic Republic of the Congo spends 3.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 8.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 75.6 times more coastline
Democratic Republic of the Congo has a total of 37 km of coastline. In South Africa, that number is 2,798 km.
Safety
be 50.3% more likely to die in a road accident
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, road accidents kill 16.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 178.3 times more home broadband
Democratic Republic of the Congo has 0.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
use 25.3 times more electricity
Democratic Republic of the Congo uses 129 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Africa uses 3,247 kWh as of 2023.
live with 293.9 times more strain on fresh water
Democratic Republic of the Congo withdraws 0% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
Environment
be 34.7% less likely to die from air pollution
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, air pollution causes 72.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
emit 114.7 times more CO2
Democratic Republic of the Congo 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 (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Democratic Republic of the Congo vs. South Africa
MORE COMPARISONS
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Democratic Republic of the Congo? See an in-depth size comparison.