Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Niger, you would:
Health
live 4.9 years longer
In Niger, the average life expectancy is 61 years (60 years for men, 62 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 17.7 times more spent on your healthcare
Niger spends $76 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
have 20.9 times more doctors per person
Niger has 0.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
have 2.0 times more access to essential health services
Niger scores 35 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Africa scores 71 as of 2021.
be 86.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Niger, 0.2% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 17.2% of people as of 2024.
be 4.7 times more likely to be obese
In Niger, 6.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
be 5.0 times more likely to die by suicide
Niger has a suicide rate of 4.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 8.5 times more money
Niger has a GDP per capita of $775 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
be 83.1 times more likely to be unemployed
In Niger, 0.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
Life
be 66.3% less likely to die during childbirth
In Niger, approximately 350.0 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 2.6 times more likely to be literate
In Niger, the literacy rate is 35.6% as of 2022. In South Africa, it is 91.2% as of 2024.
be 63.1% less likely to die during infancy
In Niger, approximately 65.6 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.
have 55.4% fewer children
In Niger, there are approximately 41.4 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 4.4 times more likely to have access to electricity
In Niger, approximately 20% of people have electricity access (67% in urban areas, and 10% 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 5.0 times more likely to have internet access
In Niger, approximately 15.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Africa, about 78.4% do as of 2024.
be 68.8% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Niger, approximately 53% of people have access to drinking water (87% in urban areas, and 46% 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.
Expenditures
spend 47.9% more on education
Niger spends 4.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. South Africa spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 2.2 times more on healthcare
Niger spends 4.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 8.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Infrastructure
find 48.6 times more home broadband
Niger has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
use 47.9 times more electricity
Niger uses 68 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Africa uses 3,247 kWh as of 2023.
live with 6.1 times more strain on fresh water
Niger withdraws 11% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
Environment
be 49.5% less likely to die from air pollution
In Niger, air pollution causes 93.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
emit 57.3 times more CO2
Niger emits 0.1 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). How we calculate this
Compare further: Niger vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Niger? See an in-depth size comparison.