Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Mongolia, you would:
Health
see 22.1% more spent on your healthcare
Mongolia spends $1,109 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
be 172.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Mongolia, 0.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 17.2% of people as of 2024.
live 6.1 years less
In Mongolia, the average life expectancy is 72 years (68 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 26.6% more likely to be obese
In Mongolia, 25.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
have 80.8% fewer doctors per person
Mongolia has 41.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
be 20.5% more likely to die by suicide
Mongolia has a suicide rate of 18.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 6.2 times more likely to be unemployed
In Mongolia, 5.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
be 39.9% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Mongolia, 27.1% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In South Africa, however, that number is 37.9% as of 2022.
Life
be 2.9 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Mongolia, approximately 41.0 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 2.2 times more likely to die during infancy
In Mongolia, approximately 11.2 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.
Basic Needs
be 12.3% less likely to have access to electricity
In Mongolia, 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 15.5% more on education
Mongolia spends 5.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. South Africa spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 46.8% more on healthcare
Mongolia spends 6.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 8.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 7.4 times more likely to be murdered
Mongolia has a homicide rate of 5.9 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 43.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 47.6% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Mongolia, 71% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2022. In South Africa, that number is 37% as of 2022.
be 97.6% more likely to die in a road accident
In Mongolia, road accidents kill 12.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
use 19.0% more electricity
Mongolia uses 2,728 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Africa uses 3,247 kWh as of 2023.
find 66.1% less home broadband
Mongolia has 15.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
live with 19.9 times more strain on fresh water
Mongolia withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
Environment
be 60.8% less likely to die from air pollution
In Mongolia, air pollution causes 120.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
emit 12.4% less CO2
Mongolia emits 7.8 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 (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Mongolia vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Mongolia? See an in-depth size comparison.