Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Republic of the Congo, you would:
Health
see 6.5 times more spent on your healthcare
Republic of the Congo spends $209 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
have 4.6 times more doctors per person
Republic of the Congo has 1.7 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
have 73.2% more access to essential health services
Republic of the Congo scores 41 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Africa scores 71 as of 2021.
be 5.4 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Republic of the Congo, 3.2% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 17.2% of people as of 2024.
be 2.6 times more likely to be obese
In Republic of the Congo, 12.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
be 3.3 times more likely to die by suicide
Republic of the Congo has a suicide rate of 6.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 2.6 times more money
Republic of the Congo has a GDP per capita of $2,515 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
be 62.9% more likely to be unemployed
In Republic of the Congo, 19.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
Life
be 51.0% less likely to die during childbirth
In Republic of the Congo, approximately 241.0 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 13.1% more likely to be literate
In Republic of the Congo, the literacy rate is 80.6% as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 91.2% as of 2024.
be 10.4% less likely to die during infancy
In Republic of the Congo, approximately 27.0 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 39.3% fewer children
In Republic of the Congo, there are approximately 30.4 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 71.0% more likely to have access to electricity
In Republic of the Congo, approximately 51% of people have electricity access (69% in urban areas, and 11% 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 65.8% more likely to have internet access
In Republic of the Congo, approximately 47.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Africa, about 78.4% do as of 2024.
be 22.7% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Republic of the Congo, approximately 73% of people have access to drinking water (87% in urban areas, and 44% in rural areas) as of 2021. 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 80.2% more on education
Republic of the Congo spends 3.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. South Africa spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 2.7 times more on healthcare
Republic of the Congo spends 3.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 8.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 16.6 times more coastline
Republic of the Congo has a total of 169 km of coastline. In South Africa, that number is 2,798 km.
Safety
be 2.9 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Republic of the Congo, road accidents kill 8.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 4.2 times more home broadband
Republic of the Congo has 1.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
use 9.6 times more electricity
Republic of the Congo uses 338 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Africa uses 3,247 kWh as of 2023.
live with 2253.3 times more strain on fresh water
Republic of the Congo withdraws 0% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
Environment
be 28.8% less likely to die from air pollution
In Republic of the Congo, air pollution causes 66.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
emit 5.1 times more CO2
Republic of the Congo emits 1.3 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), The World Factbook (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Republic of the Congo vs. South Africa
MORE COMPARISONS
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Republic of the Congo? See an in-depth size comparison.