Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in South Africa instead of Hong Kong, you would:

Health

live 19.1 years less

In Hong Kong, the average life expectancy is 85 years (83 years for men, 88 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.

View global rankings →

Economy

be 11.6 times more likely to be unemployed

In Hong Kong, 2.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.

View global rankings →

make 88.4% less money

Hong Kong has a GDP per capita of $56,983 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.

View global rankings →

Life

have 3.8 times more children

In Hong Kong, there are approximately 4.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Africa, there are 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 9.5 times more likely to die during infancy

In Hong Kong, approximately 2.5 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In South Africa, on the other hand, 24.2 children do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Basic Needs

be 12.3% less likely to have access to electricity

In Hong Kong, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% 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.

View global rankings →

be 18.2% less likely to have internet access

In Hong Kong, approximately 95.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Africa, about 78.4% do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Expenditures

spend 58.0% more on education

Hong Kong spends 3.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. South Africa spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Geography

see 3.8 times more coastline

Hong Kong has a total of 733 km of coastline. In South Africa, that number is 2,798 km.

View global rankings →

Safety

be 115.1 times more likely to be murdered

Hong Kong has a homicide rate of 0.4 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 43.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.

View global rankings →

Infrastructure

find 86.7% less home broadband

Hong Kong has 40.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.

View global rankings →

use 48.9% less electricity

Hong Kong uses 6,359 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Africa uses 3,247 kWh as of 2023.

View global rankings →

Environment

emit 49.6% more CO2

Hong Kong emits 4.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. South Africa emits 6.9 tonnes as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), The World Factbook (2022). How we calculate this

Compare further: Hong Kong vs. South Africa

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
South Africa is 58.4% cheaper than Hong Kong overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Hong Kong is about 1,100 times smaller than South Africa.
→
Moving from Hong Kong to South Africa · UN DESA 2020
1,943 people born in Hong Kong live in South Africa.
→

South Africa: At a glance

South Africa (sometimes abbreviated RSA) is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 1,214,470 sq km. Dutch traders landed at the southern tip of modern day South Africa in 1652 and established a stopover point on the spice route between the Netherlands and the Far East, founding the city of Cape Town. After the British seized the Cape of Good Hope area in 1806, many of the Dutch settlers (the Boers) trekked north to found their own republics. The discovery of diamonds (1867) and gold (1886) spurred wealth and immigration and intensified the subjugation of the native inhabitants. The Boers resisted British encroachments but were defeated in the Second Anglo Boer War (1899-1902); however, the British and the Afrikaners, as the Boers became known, ruled together beginning in 1910 under the Union of South Africa, which became a republic in 1961 after a whites-only referendum. In 1948, the National Party was voted into power and instituted a policy of apartheid - the separate development of the races - which favored the white minority at the expense of the black majority. The African National Congress (ANC) led the opposition to apartheid and many top ANC leaders, such as Nelson MANDELA, spent decades in South Africa's prisons. Internal protests and insurgency, as well as boycotts by some Western nations and institutions, led to the regime's eventual willingness to negotiate a peaceful transition to majority rule. The first multi-racial elections in 1994 brought an end to apartheid and ushered in majority rule under an ANC-led government. South Africa since then has struggled to address apartheid-era imbalances in decent housing, education, and health care. ANC infighting, which has grown in recent years, came to a head in September 2008 when President Thabo MBEKI resigned, and Kgalema MOTLANTHE, the party's General-Secretary, succeeded him as interim president. Jacob ZUMA became president after the ANC won general elections in April 2009. National presidential and parliamentary elections are scheduled for May 2014.
Read more

How big is South Africa compared to Hong Kong? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about South Africa or Hong Kong. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.