Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Morocco, you would:
Health
see 2.2 times more spent on your healthcare
Morocco spends $606 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 Morocco, 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 9.2 years less
In Morocco, the average life expectancy is 75 years (73 years for men, 78 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 47.4% more likely to be obese
In Morocco, 21.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
be 7.7 times more likely to die by suicide
Morocco has a suicide rate of 2.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 41.2% more money
Morocco has a GDP per capita of $4,672 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
be 3.6 times more likely to be unemployed
In Morocco, 9.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
be 9.7 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Morocco, 3.9% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In South Africa, however, that number is 37.9% as of 2022.
Life
be 20.1% more likely to be literate
In Morocco, the literacy rate is 75.9% as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 91.2% as of 2024.
have 12.7% more children
In Morocco, there are approximately 16.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Africa, there are 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 68.6% more likely to die during childbirth
In Morocco, approximately 70.0 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 64.6% more likely to die during infancy
In Morocco, approximately 14.7 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 Morocco, 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.
be 14.1% less likely to have internet access
In Morocco, approximately 91.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Africa, about 78.4% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 47.0% more on healthcare
Morocco 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.
Geography
see 52.5% more coastline
Morocco has a total of 1,835 km of coastline. In South Africa, that number is 2,798 km.
Safety
be 25.6 times more likely to be murdered
Morocco has a homicide rate of 1.7 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 43.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 31.7% more likely to die in a road accident
In Morocco, road accidents kill 18.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
use 3.3 times more electricity
Morocco uses 997 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Africa uses 3,247 kWh as of 2023.
find 26.7% less home broadband
Morocco has 7.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
live with 33.2% more strain on fresh water
Morocco withdraws 51% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
Environment
be 20.3% less likely to die from air pollution
In Morocco, air pollution causes 59.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
emit 3.7 times more CO2
Morocco emits 1.8 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 (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Morocco vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Morocco? See an in-depth size comparison.