Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Paraguay, you would:
Health
be 34.4 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Paraguay, 0.5% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 17.2% of people as of 2024.
live 7.7 years less
In Paraguay, the average life expectancy is 74 years (71 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.
have 79.6% fewer doctors per person
Paraguay has 38.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
be 3.5 times more likely to die by suicide
Paraguay has a suicide rate of 6.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 6.7 times more likely to be unemployed
In Paraguay, 4.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
be 2.4 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Paraguay, 16.0% live below the poverty line as of 2025. In South Africa, however, that number is 37.9% as of 2022.
Life
be 2.0 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Paraguay, approximately 58.0 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 66.9% more likely to die during infancy
In Paraguay, approximately 14.5 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 12.1% less likely to have access to electricity
In Paraguay, 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 70.5% more on education
Paraguay spends 3.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. South Africa spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
Safety
be 6.4 times more likely to be murdered
Paraguay has a homicide rate of 6.8 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 43.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 14.2% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Paraguay, 43% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2019. In South Africa, that number is 37% as of 2022.
be 16.7% more likely to die in a road accident
In Paraguay, road accidents kill 21.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
use 35.9% more electricity
Paraguay uses 2,389 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Africa uses 3,247 kWh as of 2023.
find 58.5% less home broadband
Paraguay has 12.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
live with 36.7 times more strain on fresh water
Paraguay withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
Environment
be 88.0% more likely to die from air pollution
In Paraguay, air pollution causes 25.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
emit 5.9 times more CO2
Paraguay emits 1.2 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). How we calculate this
Compare further: Paraguay vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Paraguay? See an in-depth size comparison.