Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Indonesia, you would:
Health
see 3.2 times more spent on your healthcare
Indonesia spends $417 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
have 51.5% more doctors per person
Indonesia has 5.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
have 29.1% more access to essential health services
Indonesia scores 55 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Africa scores 71 as of 2021.
be 43.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Indonesia, 0.4% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 17.2% of people as of 2024.
live 5.0 years less
In Indonesia, the average life expectancy is 71 years (69 years for men, 73 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.
be 2.7 times more likely to be obese
In Indonesia, 11.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
be 18.6 times more likely to die by suicide
Indonesia has a suicide rate of 1.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 30.4% more money
Indonesia has a GDP per capita of $5,060 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
be 10.0 times more likely to be unemployed
In Indonesia, 3.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
be 4.5 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Indonesia, 8.5% live below the poverty line as of 2025. In South Africa, however, that number is 37.9% as of 2022.
Life
be 15.7% less likely to die during childbirth
In Indonesia, approximately 140.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In South Africa, 118.0 women do as of 2023.
have 17.3% more children
In Indonesia, there are approximately 15.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Africa, there are 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 59.2% more likely to die during infancy
In Indonesia, approximately 15.2 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 11.8% less likely to have access to electricity
In Indonesia, approximately 99% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 99% 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.
Expenditures
spend 4.7 times more on education
Indonesia spends 1.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. South Africa spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 3.3 times more on healthcare
Indonesia spends 2.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 8.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 94.9% less coastline
Indonesia has a total of 54,716 km of coastline. In South Africa, that number is 2,798 km.
Safety
be 145.7 times more likely to be murdered
Indonesia has a homicide rate of 0.3 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In South Africa, that number is 43.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 41.1% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Indonesia, 63% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2020. In South Africa, that number is 37% as of 2022.
be 2.2 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Indonesia, road accidents kill 11.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
use 2.2 times more electricity
Indonesia uses 1,445 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Africa uses 3,247 kWh as of 2023.
live with 2.3 times more strain on fresh water
Indonesia withdraws 30% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
Environment
be 19.0% less likely to die from air pollution
In Indonesia, air pollution causes 58.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
emit 2.4 times more CO2
Indonesia emits 2.9 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 (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Indonesia vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Indonesia? See an in-depth size comparison.