Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Guinea, you would:
Health
live 5.4 years longer
In Guinea, the average life expectancy is 61 years (60 years for men, 62 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 8.0 times more spent on your healthcare
Guinea spends $169 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
Guinea has 2.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
have 77.5% more access to essential health services
Guinea scores 40 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 Guinea, 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 3.0 times more likely to be obese
In Guinea, 10.6% 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
Guinea 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
make 3.5 times more money
Guinea has a GDP per capita of $1,877 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
be 6.3 times more likely to be unemployed
In Guinea, 5.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
Life
be 76.1% less likely to die during childbirth
In Guinea, approximately 494.0 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 2.0 times more likely to be literate
In Guinea, the literacy rate is 45.3% as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 91.2% as of 2024.
be 59.5% less likely to die during infancy
In Guinea, approximately 59.8 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 44.6% fewer children
In Guinea, there are approximately 33.3 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 71.6% more likely to have access to electricity
In Guinea, approximately 51% of people have electricity access (92% in urban areas, and 26% 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 2.4 times more likely to have internet access
In Guinea, approximately 33.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Africa, about 78.4% do as of 2024.
be 21.6% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Guinea, approximately 74% of people have access to drinking water (93% in urban areas, and 62% 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 3.5 times more on education
Guinea spends 1.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. South Africa spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 2.4 times more on healthcare
Guinea 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 8.7 times more coastline
Guinea has a total of 320 km of coastline. In South Africa, that number is 2,798 km.
Safety
be 34.5% less likely to die in a road accident
In Guinea, road accidents kill 37.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 535.0 times more home broadband
Guinea has 0.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
live with 49.3 times more strain on fresh water
Guinea withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
Environment
be 50.0% less likely to die from air pollution
In Guinea, air pollution causes 94.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
emit 19.7 times more CO2
Guinea emits 0.3 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 (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Guinea vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Guinea? See an in-depth size comparison.