Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Saudi Arabia, you would:
Health
be 20.7% less likely to be obese
In Saudi Arabia, 40.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
be 172.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Saudi Arabia, 0.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 17.2% of people as of 2024.
live 12.7 years less
In Saudi Arabia, the average life expectancy is 79 years (77 years for men, 81 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 61.0% less spent on your healthcare
Saudi Arabia spends $3,475 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
have 76.7% fewer doctors per person
Saudi Arabia has 34.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
be 23.5 times more likely to die by suicide
Saudi Arabia has a suicide rate of 0.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 10.7 times more likely to be unemployed
In Saudi Arabia, 3.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
make 80.9% less money
Saudi Arabia has a GDP per capita of $34,537 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
Life
have 12.0% more children
In Saudi Arabia, there are approximately 16.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Africa, there are 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 16.9 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Saudi Arabia, approximately 7.0 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 5.1 times more likely to die during infancy
In Saudi Arabia, approximately 4.7 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 Saudi Arabia, 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 21.6% less likely to have internet access
In Saudi Arabia, approximately 100.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Africa, about 78.4% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 34.4% more on education
Saudi Arabia spends 4.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. South Africa spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 56.6% more on healthcare
Saudi Arabia 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.
Safety
be 46.5 times more likely to be murdered
Saudi Arabia has a homicide rate of 0.9 per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, that number is 43.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 32.4% more likely to die in a road accident
In Saudi Arabia, road accidents kill 18.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 93.1% less strain on fresh water
Saudi Arabia withdraws 974% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
find 87.9% less home broadband
Saudi Arabia has 44.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
use 72.7% less electricity
Saudi Arabia uses 11,911 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Africa uses 3,247 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 48.4% less likely to die from air pollution
In Saudi Arabia, air pollution causes 91.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
emit 62.8% less CO2
Saudi Arabia emits 18.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. South Africa emits 6.9 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Saudi Arabia vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Saudi Arabia? See an in-depth size comparison.