Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Serbia, you would:
Health
be 172.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Serbia, 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 9.7 years less
In Serbia, the average life expectancy is 76 years (74 years for men, 78 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 45.5% more likely to be obese
In Serbia, 21.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
see 41.2% less spent on your healthcare
Serbia spends $2,303 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
have 74.4% fewer doctors per person
Serbia has 31.0 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
be 47.3% more likely to die by suicide
Serbia has a suicide rate of 15.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 4.5 times more likely to be unemployed
In Serbia, 7.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
be 92.4% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Serbia, 19.7% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In South Africa, however, that number is 37.9% as of 2022.
make 56.8% less money
Serbia has a GDP per capita of $15,262 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.0 times more children
In Serbia, there are approximately 9.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Africa, there are 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 10.7 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Serbia, approximately 11.0 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 5.3 times more likely to die during infancy
In Serbia, approximately 4.6 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 Serbia, 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 10.6% less likely to have internet access
In Serbia, approximately 87.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Africa, about 78.4% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 77.1% more on education
Serbia spends 3.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. South Africa spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 11.0% more on healthcare
Serbia spends 8.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 8.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 33.4 times more likely to be murdered
Serbia has a homicide rate of 1.3 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 43.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 3.3 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Serbia, road accidents kill 7.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 84.0% less home broadband
Serbia has 33.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
live with 11.8 times more strain on fresh water
Serbia withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
use 36.2% less electricity
Serbia uses 5,090 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Africa uses 3,247 kWh as of 2023.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Serbia vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Serbia? See an in-depth size comparison.