Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Guinea-Bissau, you would:
Health
live 1.6 years longer
In Guinea-Bissau, the average life expectancy is 64 years (61 years for men, 66 years for women) as of 2022. In South Africa, that number is 65 years (64 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2022.
be 6.4 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Guinea-Bissau, 3.0% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In South Africa, that number is 19.1% of people as of 2020.
be 3.0 times more likely to be obese
In Guinea-Bissau, 9.5% of adults are obese as of 2016. In South Africa, that number is 28.3% of people as of 2016.
Economy
make 5.0 times more money
Guinea-Bissau has a GDP per capita of $2,700 as of 2024, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $13,600 as of 2024.
be 67.1% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Guinea-Bissau, 50.5% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In South Africa, however, that number is 16.6% as of 2016.
be 12.3 times more likely to be unemployed
In Guinea-Bissau, 2.7% of adults are unemployed as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 33.2% as of 2024.
Life
be 76.6% less likely to die during childbirth
In Guinea-Bissau, approximately 505.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2023. In South Africa, 118.0 women do as of 2023.
be 42.7% more likely to be literate
In Guinea-Bissau, the literacy rate is 63.9% as of 2022. In South Africa, it is 91.2% as of 2024.
be 47.3% less likely to die during infancy
In Guinea-Bissau, approximately 49.0 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In South Africa, on the other hand, 25.9 children do as of 2022.
have 52.0% fewer children
In Guinea-Bissau, there are approximately 35.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2025. In South Africa, there are 17.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2025.
Basic Needs
be 2.3 times more likely to have access to electricity
In Guinea-Bissau, approximately 37% of people have electricity access (60% in urban areas, and 16% in rural areas) as of 2022. In South Africa, that number is 86% of people on average (87% in urban areas, and 92% in rural areas) as of 2022.
be 2.3 times more likely to have internet access
In Guinea-Bissau, approximately 33.0% of the population has internet access as of 2023. In South Africa, about 76.0% do as of 2023.
be 52.9% more likely to have access to improved drinking water
In Guinea-Bissau, approximately 62% of people have improved drinking water access (73% in urban areas, and 52% in rural areas) as of 2022. In South Africa, that number is 94% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 84% in rural areas) as of 2022.
Expenditures
spend 2.4 times more on education
Guinea-Bissau spends 2.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. South Africa spends 6.6% of total GDP on education as of 2021.
Geography
see 8.0 times more coastline
Guinea-Bissau has a total of 350 km of coastline. In South Africa, that number is 2,798 km.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Guinea-Bissau? See an in-depth size comparison.