Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Papua New Guinea, you would:
Health
be 21.2 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Papua New Guinea, 0.9% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In South Africa, that number is 19.1% of people as of 2020.
live 4.1 years less
In Papua New Guinea, the average life expectancy is 69 years (68 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2022. In South Africa, that number is 65 years (64 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2022.
be 32.9% more likely to be obese
In Papua New Guinea, 21.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In South Africa, that number is 28.3% of people as of 2016.
Economy
make 3.2 times more money
Papua New Guinea has a GDP per capita of $4,300 as of 2024, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $13,600 as of 2024.
be 55.1% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Papua New Guinea, 37.0% live below the poverty line as of 2002. In South Africa, however, that number is 16.6% as of 2016.
be 11.9 times more likely to be unemployed
In Papua New Guinea, 2.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 33.2% as of 2024.
Life
be 37.6% less likely to die during childbirth
In Papua New Guinea, approximately 189.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2023. In South Africa, 118.0 women do as of 2023.
be 30.1% more likely to be literate
In Papua New Guinea, the literacy rate is 70.1% as of 2017. In South Africa, it is 91.2% as of 2024.
be 23.0% less likely to die during infancy
In Papua New Guinea, approximately 33.6 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In South Africa, on the other hand, 25.9 children do as of 2022.
have 37.6% fewer children
In Papua New Guinea, there are approximately 27.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2025. In South Africa, there are 17.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2025.
Basic Needs
be 4.6 times more likely to have access to electricity
In Papua New Guinea, approximately 19% of people have electricity access (65% in urban areas, and 14% in rural areas) as of 2022. In South Africa, that number is 86% of people on average (87% in urban areas, and 92% in rural areas) as of 2022.
be 3.2 times more likely to have internet access
In Papua New Guinea, approximately 24.0% of the population has internet access as of 2023. In South Africa, about 76.0% do as of 2023.
be 88.2% more likely to have access to improved drinking water
In Papua New Guinea, approximately 50% of people have improved drinking water access (87% in urban areas, and 44% in rural areas) as of 2022. In South Africa, that number is 94% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 84% in rural areas) as of 2022.
Expenditures
spend 4.7 times more on education
Papua New Guinea spends 1.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. South Africa spends 6.6% of total GDP on education as of 2021.
spend 3.4 times more on healthcare
Papua New Guinea spends 2.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In South Africa, that number is 8.6% of GDP as of 2020.
Geography
see 45.7% less coastline
Papua New Guinea has a total of 5,152 km of coastline. In South Africa, that number is 2,798 km.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Papua New Guinea? See an in-depth size comparison.