Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Mauritius, you would:
Health
live 7.5 years less
In Mauritius, the average life expectancy is 74 years (70 years for men, 77 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 50.9% more likely to be obese
In Mauritius, 21.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
see 13.5% less spent on your healthcare
Mauritius spends $1,566 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
have 44.7% fewer doctors per person
Mauritius has 14.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
be 2.1 times more likely to die by suicide
Mauritius has a suicide rate of 10.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 5.8 times more likely to be unemployed
In Mauritius, 5.6% 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 Mauritius, 8.4% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In South Africa, however, that number is 37.9% as of 2022.
make 49.2% less money
Mauritius has a GDP per capita of $12,991 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
Life
have 79.4% more children
In Mauritius, there are approximately 10.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Africa, there are 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 78.8% more likely to die during childbirth
In Mauritius, approximately 66.0 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 75.4% more likely to die during infancy
In Mauritius, approximately 13.8 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 Mauritius, 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 41.6% more on education
Mauritius spends 4.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. South Africa spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 60.0% more on healthcare
Mauritius spends 5.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 8.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 15.8 times more coastline
Mauritius has a total of 177 km of coastline. In South Africa, that number is 2,798 km.
Safety
be 19.3 times more likely to be murdered
Mauritius has a homicide rate of 2.3 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In South Africa, that number is 43.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 2.5 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Mauritius, road accidents kill 9.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
use 31.7% more electricity
Mauritius uses 2,465 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Africa uses 3,247 kWh as of 2023.
find 80.9% less home broadband
Mauritius has 28.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
live with 2.9 times more strain on fresh water
Mauritius withdraws 23% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
Environment
be 67.9% more likely to die from air pollution
In Mauritius, air pollution causes 28.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
emit 94.4% more CO2
Mauritius emits 3.5 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), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Mauritius vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Mauritius? See an in-depth size comparison.