Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Iran, you would:
Health
see 27.2% more spent on your healthcare
Iran spends $1,064 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
live 11.5 years less
In Iran, the average life expectancy is 78 years (76 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.
be 29.4% more likely to be obese
In Iran, 24.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
have 56.2% fewer doctors per person
Iran has 18.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
be 5.5 times more likely to die by suicide
Iran has a suicide rate of 4.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 68.1% more money
Iran has a GDP per capita of $3,924 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
be 3.9 times more likely to be unemployed
In Iran, 8.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
Life
have 47.0% more children
In Iran, there are approximately 12.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Africa, there are 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 7.4 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Iran, approximately 16.0 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 2.3 times more likely to die during infancy
In Iran, approximately 10.3 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 Iran, 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.
Expenditures
spend 2.1 times more on education
Iran spends 2.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. South Africa spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 47.8% more on healthcare
Iran spends 6.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 8.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 14.7% more coastline
Iran has a total of 2,440 km of coastline. In South Africa, that number is 2,798 km.
Safety
be 18.9% more likely to die in a road accident
In Iran, road accidents kill 20.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 16.8% less strain on fresh water
Iran withdraws 81% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
find 55.6% less home broadband
Iran has 12.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
use 14.9% less electricity
Iran uses 3,815 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Africa uses 3,247 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 24.0% less CO2
Iran emits 9.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. South Africa emits 6.9 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Iran vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Iran? See an in-depth size comparison.