Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Senegal, you would:
Health
see 6.6 times more spent on your healthcare
Senegal spends $206 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
have 7.3 times more doctors per person
Senegal has 1.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
have 42.0% more access to essential health services
Senegal scores 50 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Africa scores 71 as of 2021.
be 57.3 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Senegal, 0.3% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 17.2% of people as of 2024.
live 2.6 years less
In Senegal, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 71 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 2.7 times more likely to be obese
In Senegal, 11.6% 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
Senegal has a suicide rate of 6.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 3.4 times more money
Senegal has a GDP per capita of $1,955 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
be 11.9 times more likely to be unemployed
In Senegal, 2.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
Life
be 50.2% less likely to die during childbirth
In Senegal, approximately 237.0 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 81.0% more likely to be literate
In Senegal, the literacy rate is 50.4% as of 2023. In South Africa, it is 91.2% as of 2024.
be 16.3% less likely to die during infancy
In Senegal, approximately 28.9 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 36.7% fewer children
In Senegal, there are approximately 29.2 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 18.2% more likely to have access to electricity
In Senegal, approximately 74% of people have electricity access (96% in urban areas, and 56% 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 30.3% more likely to have internet access
In Senegal, approximately 60.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Africa, about 78.4% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.1 times more on healthcare
Senegal spends 4.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 8.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 5.3 times more coastline
Senegal has a total of 531 km of coastline. In South Africa, that number is 2,798 km.
Safety
be 17.8% more likely to die in a road accident
In Senegal, road accidents kill 20.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 32.4% more home broadband
Senegal has 4.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
use 7.9 times more electricity
Senegal uses 410 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Africa uses 3,247 kWh as of 2023.
live with 4.2 times more strain on fresh water
Senegal withdraws 16% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
Environment
be 27.7% less likely to die from air pollution
In Senegal, air pollution causes 65.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
emit 8.9 times more CO2
Senegal emits 0.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. South Africa emits 6.9 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Senegal vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Senegal? See an in-depth size comparison.