Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Romania, you would:
Health
be 86.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Romania, 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.
live 10.1 years less
In Romania, the average life expectancy is 76 years (73 years for men, 80 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 48.2% less spent on your healthcare
Romania spends $2,614 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
have 78.1% fewer doctors per person
Romania has 36.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
be 2.3 times more likely to die by suicide
Romania has a suicide rate of 9.6 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 Romania, 6.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
be 2.1 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Romania, 18.4% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In South Africa, however, that number is 37.9% as of 2022.
make 70.7% less money
Romania has a GDP per capita of $22,538 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.5 times more children
In Romania, there are approximately 7.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Africa, there are 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 9.8 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Romania, approximately 12.0 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 Romania, approximately 6.0 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.
Basic Needs
be 12.3% less likely to have access to electricity
In Romania, 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 14.2% less likely to have internet access
In Romania, approximately 91.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Africa, about 78.4% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 83.5% more on education
Romania spends 3.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. South Africa spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 56.0% more on healthcare
Romania spends 5.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 8.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 12.4 times more coastline
Romania has a total of 225 km of coastline. In South Africa, that number is 2,798 km.
Safety
be 39.4 times more likely to be murdered
Romania has a homicide rate of 1.1 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 43.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 2.6 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Romania, road accidents kill 9.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
use 25.6% more electricity
Romania uses 2,585 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Africa uses 3,247 kWh as of 2023.
find 85.1% less home broadband
Romania has 35.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
live with 8.9 times more strain on fresh water
Romania withdraws 8% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 84.9% more CO2
Romania emits 3.7 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, United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Romania vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Romania? See an in-depth size comparison.