Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Mali, you would:
Health
live 5.6 years longer
In Mali, the average life expectancy is 61 years (59 years for men, 62 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 13.0 times more spent on your healthcare
Mali spends $104 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
have 4.2 times more doctors per person
Mali has 1.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
have 73.2% more access to essential health services
Mali scores 41 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Africa scores 71 as of 2021.
be 21.5 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Mali, 0.8% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 17.2% of people as of 2024.
be 2.4 times more likely to be obese
In Mali, 13.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
be 5.4 times more likely to die by suicide
Mali has a suicide rate of 4.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 16.7% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Mali, 45.5% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In South Africa, however, that number is 37.9% as of 2022.
make 5.5 times more money
Mali has a GDP per capita of $1,193 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
be 11.4 times more likely to be unemployed
In Mali, 2.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
Life
be 67.8% less likely to die during childbirth
In Mali, approximately 367.0 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 2.6 times more likely to be literate
In Mali, the literacy rate is 35.6% as of 2024. In South Africa, it is 91.2% as of 2024.
be 49.1% less likely to die during infancy
In Mali, approximately 47.5 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 53.3% fewer children
In Mali, there are approximately 39.5 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 60.9% more likely to have access to electricity
In Mali, approximately 54% of people have electricity access (92% in urban areas, and 23% 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 2.1 times more likely to have internet access
In Mali, approximately 36.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Africa, about 78.4% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 44.0% more on education
Mali spends 4.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. South Africa spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 2.3 times more on healthcare
Mali spends 3.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 8.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 21.3% more likely to die in a road accident
In Mali, road accidents kill 20.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 6.9 times more home broadband
Mali has 0.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
live with 8.4 times more strain on fresh water
Mali withdraws 8% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
Environment
be 27.7% less likely to die from air pollution
In Mali, air pollution causes 65.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
emit 22.9 times more CO2
Mali emits 0.3 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), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Mali vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Mali? See an in-depth size comparison.