Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Kenya, you would:
Health
live 2.5 years longer
In Kenya, the average life expectancy is 64 years (62 years for men, 66 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 4.9 times more spent on your healthcare
Kenya spends $274 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
Kenya has 2.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
have 34.0% more access to essential health services
Kenya scores 53 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Africa scores 71 as of 2021.
be 5.7 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Kenya, 3.0% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 17.2% of people as of 2024.
be 2.8 times more likely to be obese
In Kenya, 11.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
be 4.9 times more likely to die by suicide
Kenya has a suicide rate of 4.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 2.8 times more money
Kenya has a GDP per capita of $2,363 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
be 5.9 times more likely to be unemployed
In Kenya, 5.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
Life
be 20.8% less likely to die during childbirth
In Kenya, approximately 149.0 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 10.4% more likely to be literate
In Kenya, the literacy rate is 82.6% as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 91.2% as of 2024.
be 29.2% less likely to die during infancy
In Kenya, approximately 34.2 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.
have 31.5% fewer children
In Kenya, there are approximately 27.0 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 15.1% more likely to have access to electricity
In Kenya, approximately 76% of people have electricity access (96% in urban areas, and 68% 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 2.2 times more likely to have internet access
In Kenya, approximately 35.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Africa, about 78.4% do as of 2024.
be 37.5% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Kenya, approximately 66% of people have access to drinking water (89% in urban areas, and 56% 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 49.8% more on education
Kenya spends 4.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. South Africa spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 2.0 times more on healthcare
Kenya spends 4.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 8.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 5.2 times more coastline
Kenya has a total of 536 km of coastline. In South Africa, that number is 2,798 km.
Safety
be 13.1% less likely to die in a road accident
In Kenya, road accidents kill 28.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 9.0 times more likely to be murdered
Kenya has a homicide rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In South Africa, that number is 43.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.
Infrastructure
find 76.0% more home broadband
Kenya has 3.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
use 16.6 times more electricity
Kenya uses 195 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. South Africa uses 3,247 kWh as of 2023.
live with 2.0 times more strain on fresh water
Kenya withdraws 33% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
Environment
be 42.4% more likely to die from air pollution
In Kenya, air pollution causes 33.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
emit 18.1 times more CO2
Kenya emits 0.4 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), The World Factbook (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Kenya vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Kenya? See an in-depth size comparison.