Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Haiti, you would:
Health
live 1.2 years longer
In Haiti, the average life expectancy is 65 years (62 years for men, 68 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 12.9 times more spent on your healthcare
Haiti spends $105 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
have 2.7 times more doctors per person
Haiti has 2.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
have 31.5% more access to essential health services
Haiti scores 54 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Africa scores 71 as of 2021.
be 10.8 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Haiti, 1.6% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 17.2% of people as of 2024.
be 2.9 times more likely to be obese
In Haiti, 11.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
be 2.9 times more likely to die by suicide
Haiti has a suicide rate of 7.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 2.4 times more money
Haiti has a GDP per capita of $2,694 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
be 2.2 times more likely to be unemployed
In Haiti, 14.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
Life
be 64.0% less likely to die during childbirth
In Haiti, approximately 328.0 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 37.9% less likely to die during infancy
In Haiti, approximately 39.0 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 15.8% fewer children
In Haiti, there are approximately 21.9 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 71.0% more likely to have access to electricity
In Haiti, approximately 51% of people have electricity access (84% in urban areas, and 3% 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 63.7% more likely to have internet access
In Haiti, approximately 47.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Africa, about 78.4% do as of 2024.
be 23.0% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Haiti, approximately 73% of people have access to drinking water (85% in urban areas, and 55% 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 6.3 times more on education
Haiti spends 1.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. South Africa spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 2.8 times more on healthcare
Haiti spends 3.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 8.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 58.0% more coastline
Haiti has a total of 1,771 km of coastline. In South Africa, that number is 2,798 km.
Safety
be 21.7% less likely to die in a road accident
In Haiti, road accidents kill 31.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 17.3 times more home broadband
Haiti has 0.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
use 42.6 times more electricity
Haiti uses 76 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2022. South Africa uses 3,247 kWh as of 2023.
live with 5.1 times more strain on fresh water
Haiti withdraws 13% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 22.9 times more CO2
Haiti 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 (2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Haiti vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Haiti? See an in-depth size comparison.