Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Mozambique, you would:
Health
live 2.5 years longer
In Mozambique, the average life expectancy is 64 years (60 years for men, 67 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 9.5 times more spent on your healthcare
Mozambique spends $143 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
have 4.5 times more doctors per person
Mozambique has 1.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
have 61.4% more access to essential health services
Mozambique scores 44 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Africa scores 71 as of 2021.
be 49.6% more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Mozambique, 11.5% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 17.2% of people as of 2024.
be 3.0 times more likely to be obese
In Mozambique, 10.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
be 2.1 times more likely to die by suicide
Mozambique has a suicide rate of 10.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 41.7% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Mozambique, 65.0% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In South Africa, however, that number is 37.9% as of 2022.
make 10.5 times more money
Mozambique has a GDP per capita of $627 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
be 4.9 times more likely to be unemployed
In Mozambique, 6.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
Life
be 47.8% more likely to be literate
In Mozambique, the literacy rate is 61.7% as of 2022. In South Africa, it is 91.2% as of 2024.
be 44.6% less likely to die during infancy
In Mozambique, approximately 43.7 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.
be 19.2% more likely to die during childbirth
In Mozambique, approximately 99.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In South Africa, 118.0 women do as of 2023.
have 50.1% fewer children
In Mozambique, there are approximately 37.0 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 2.4 times more likely to have access to electricity
In Mozambique, approximately 36% of people have electricity access (79% in urban areas, and 9% 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 3.8 times more likely to have internet access
In Mozambique, approximately 20.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Africa, about 78.4% do as of 2024.
be 35.4% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Mozambique, approximately 67% of people have access to drinking water (89% in urban areas, and 52% in rural areas) as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 90% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 73% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Geography
see 13.3% more coastline
Mozambique has a total of 2,470 km of coastline. In South Africa, that number is 2,798 km.
Safety
be 21.9% more likely to die in a road accident
In Mozambique, road accidents kill 20.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 38.2 times more home broadband
Mozambique has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
use 8.3 times more electricity
Mozambique uses 391 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Africa uses 3,247 kWh as of 2023.
live with 38.6 times more strain on fresh water
Mozambique withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
Environment
be 26.6% less likely to die from air pollution
In Mozambique, air pollution causes 64.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
emit 23.7 times more CO2
Mozambique 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), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Mozambique vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Mozambique? See an in-depth size comparison.