Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Rwanda, you would:
Health
see 7.6 times more spent on your healthcare
Rwanda spends $177 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
have 8.8 times more doctors per person
Rwanda has 0.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
have 44.9% more access to essential health services
Rwanda scores 49 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Africa scores 71 as of 2021.
be 8.6 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Rwanda, 2.0% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 17.2% of people as of 2024.
live 1.7 years less
In Rwanda, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 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 5.7 times more likely to be obese
In Rwanda, 5.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
be 2.6 times more likely to die by suicide
Rwanda has a suicide rate of 8.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 5.9 times more money
Rwanda has a GDP per capita of $1,124 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
be 2.9 times more likely to be unemployed
In Rwanda, 11.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
be 38.3% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Rwanda, 27.4% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In South Africa, however, that number is 37.9% as of 2022.
Life
be 48.5% less likely to die during childbirth
In Rwanda, approximately 229.0 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 15.7% more likely to be literate
In Rwanda, the literacy rate is 78.8% as of 2022. In South Africa, it is 91.2% as of 2024.
be 17.7% less likely to die during infancy
In Rwanda, approximately 29.4 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 34.1% fewer children
In Rwanda, there are approximately 28.1 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 37.2% more likely to have access to electricity
In Rwanda, approximately 64% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 58% 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 2.5 times more likely to have internet access
In Rwanda, approximately 31.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Africa, about 78.4% do as of 2024.
be 46.9% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Rwanda, approximately 61% of people have access to drinking water (88% in urban areas, and 56% in rural areas) as of 2024. 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 30.6% more on education
Rwanda spends 4.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. South Africa spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 73.7% more on healthcare
Rwanda spends 5.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 8.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 12.1 times more likely to be murdered
Rwanda has a homicide rate of 3.6 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In South Africa, that number is 43.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 2.1 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Rwanda, road accidents kill 11.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 8.9 times more home broadband
Rwanda has 0.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
use 42.3 times more electricity
Rwanda uses 77 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Africa uses 3,247 kWh as of 2023.
live with 3.3 times more strain on fresh water
Rwanda withdraws 20% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
Environment
be 24.2% less likely to die from air pollution
In Rwanda, air pollution causes 62.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
emit 43.0 times more CO2
Rwanda emits 0.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. South Africa emits 6.9 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Rwanda vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Rwanda? See an in-depth size comparison.