Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Gambia, you would:
Health
see 14.4 times more spent on your healthcare
Gambia spends $94 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
have 8.8 times more doctors per person
Gambia has 0.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
have 54.3% more access to essential health services
Gambia scores 46 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Africa scores 71 as of 2021.
be 13.2 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Gambia, 1.3% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 17.2% of people as of 2024.
be 2.6 times more likely to be obese
In Gambia, 12.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
be 4.6 times more likely to die by suicide
Gambia has a suicide rate of 4.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 29.0% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Gambia, 53.4% live below the poverty line as of 2020. In South Africa, however, that number is 37.9% as of 2022.
make 7.2 times more money
Gambia has a GDP per capita of $919 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
be 5.0 times more likely to be unemployed
In Gambia, 6.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
Life
be 66.7% less likely to die during childbirth
In Gambia, approximately 354.0 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 76.5% more likely to be literate
In Gambia, the literacy rate is 51.6% as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 91.2% as of 2024.
be 26.0% less likely to die during infancy
In Gambia, approximately 32.7 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 38.1% fewer children
In Gambia, there are approximately 29.9 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 31.1% more likely to have access to electricity
In Gambia, approximately 67% of people have electricity access (85% in urban areas, and 35% 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 58.3% more likely to have internet access
In Gambia, approximately 49.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Africa, about 78.4% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.1 times more on education
Gambia spends 2.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. South Africa spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 3.1 times more on healthcare
Gambia spends 2.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 8.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 35.0 times more coastline
Gambia has a total of 80 km of coastline. In South Africa, that number is 2,798 km.
Safety
be 36.9% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Gambia, 59% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2020. In South Africa, that number is 37% as of 2022.
be 11.4% more likely to die in a road accident
In Gambia, road accidents kill 22.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 10.3 times more home broadband
Gambia has 0.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
live with 30.6 times more strain on fresh water
Gambia withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
Environment
be 47.8% less likely to die from air pollution
In Gambia, air pollution causes 90.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
emit 38.2 times more CO2
Gambia emits 0.2 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 (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Gambia vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Gambia? See an in-depth size comparison.