Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Marshall Islands, you would:
Health
be 46.5% less likely to be obese
In Marshall Islands, 52.9% of adults are obese as of 2016. In South Africa, that number is 28.3% of people as of 2016.
live 9.3 years less
In Marshall Islands, the average life expectancy is 75 years (72 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2022. In South Africa, that number is 65 years (64 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2022.
Economy
make 88.9% more money
Marshall Islands has a GDP per capita of $7,200 as of 2024, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $13,600 as of 2024.
be 2.3 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Marshall Islands, 7.2% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In South Africa, however, that number is 16.6% as of 2016.
Life
be 23.9% less likely to die during childbirth
In Marshall Islands, approximately 155.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2023. In South Africa, 118.0 women do as of 2023.
be 19.4% more likely to die during infancy
In Marshall Islands, approximately 21.7 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In South Africa, on the other hand, 25.9 children do as of 2022.
have 17.3% fewer children
In Marshall Islands, there are approximately 20.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2025. In South Africa, there are 17.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2025.
Basic Needs
be 15.2% more likely to have internet access
In Marshall Islands, approximately 66.0% of the population has internet access as of 2023. In South Africa, about 76.0% do as of 2023.
be 11.0% more likely to have access to improved drinking water
In Marshall Islands, approximately 85% of people have improved drinking water access (84% in urban areas, and 87% in rural areas) as of 2022. In South Africa, that number is 94% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 84% in rural areas) as of 2022.
be 13.5% less likely to have access to electricity
In Marshall Islands, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (96% in urban areas, and 92% in rural areas) as of 2022. In South Africa, that number is 86% of people on average (87% in urban areas, and 92% in rural areas) as of 2022.
Expenditures
spend 51.5% less on education
Marshall Islands spends 13.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. South Africa spends 6.6% of total GDP on education as of 2021.
spend 33.8% less on healthcare
Marshall Islands spends 13.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In South Africa, that number is 8.6% of GDP as of 2020.
Geography
see 7.6 times more coastline
Marshall Islands has a total of 370 km of coastline. In South Africa, that number is 2,798 km.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Marshall Islands? See an in-depth size comparison.