Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Hungary, you would:
Health
live 10.4 years less
In Hungary, the average life expectancy is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 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 52.9% less spent on your healthcare
Hungary spends $2,875 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
have 77.0% fewer doctors per person
Hungary has 34.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
have 10.1% less access to essential health services
Hungary scores 79 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Africa scores 71 as of 2021.
be 35.6% more likely to die by suicide
Hungary has a suicide rate of 16.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 7.2 times more likely to be unemployed
In Hungary, 4.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
be 3.1 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Hungary, 12.1% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In South Africa, however, that number is 37.9% as of 2022.
make 74.5% less money
Hungary has a GDP per capita of $25,907 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.3 times more children
In Hungary, there are approximately 8.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Africa, there are 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 9.8 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Hungary, approximately 12.0 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 7.8 times more likely to die during infancy
In Hungary, approximately 3.1 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.
Basic Needs
be 12.3% less likely to have access to electricity
In Hungary, 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.
be 16.4% less likely to have internet access
In Hungary, approximately 93.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Africa, about 78.4% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 58.4% more on education
Hungary spends 3.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. South Africa spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 39.9% more on healthcare
Hungary spends 6.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 8.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 60.7 times more likely to be murdered
Hungary has a homicide rate of 0.7 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 43.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 3.3 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Hungary, road accidents kill 7.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 85.7% less home broadband
Hungary has 37.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
live with 8.3 times more strain on fresh water
Hungary withdraws 8% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
use 32.5% less electricity
Hungary uses 4,812 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. South Africa uses 3,247 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 11.9% more likely to die from air pollution
In Hungary, air pollution causes 42.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
emit 54.3% more CO2
Hungary emits 4.5 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). How we calculate this
Compare further: Hungary vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Hungary? See an in-depth size comparison.