Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Puerto Rico, you would:
Health
be 25.0% less likely to be obese
In Puerto Rico, 42.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
live 15.6 years less
In Puerto Rico, the average life expectancy is 82 years (78 years for men, 85 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 4.1 times more likely to die by suicide
Puerto Rico has a suicide rate of 5.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 5.4 times more likely to be unemployed
In Puerto Rico, 6.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
make 83.8% less money
Puerto Rico has a GDP per capita of $40,620 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
Life
have 3.2 times more children
In Puerto Rico, there are approximately 5.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Africa, there are 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 10.7 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Puerto Rico, approximately 11.0 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 4.0 times more likely to die during infancy
In Puerto Rico, approximately 6.0 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. 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 Puerto Rico, 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 10.2% less likely to have internet access
In Puerto Rico, approximately 87.3% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In South Africa, about 78.4% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 41.0% more on education
Puerto Rico spends 4.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. South Africa spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
Geography
see 5.6 times more coastline
Puerto Rico has a total of 501 km of coastline. In South Africa, that number is 2,798 km.
Safety
be 3.0 times more likely to be murdered
Puerto Rico has a homicide rate of 14.6 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 43.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 96.0% more likely to die in a road accident
In Puerto Rico, road accidents kill 12.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 80.9% less home broadband
Puerto Rico has 28.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
live with 3.5 times more strain on fresh water
Puerto Rico withdraws 20% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 42.7% more CO2
Puerto Rico emits 4.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. South Africa emits 6.9 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), The World Factbook (2022), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Puerto Rico vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Puerto Rico? See an in-depth size comparison.