Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Somalia, you would:
Health
live 7.3 years longer
In Somalia, the average life expectancy is 59 years (56 years for men, 62 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 26.0 times more spent on your healthcare
Somalia spends $52 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
have 2.6 times more access to essential health services
Somalia scores 27 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Africa scores 71 as of 2021.
be 172.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Somalia, 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.
be 2.1 times more likely to be obese
In Somalia, 14.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
be 2.8 times more likely to die by suicide
Somalia has a suicide rate of 8.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 31.6% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Somalia, 55.4% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In South Africa, however, that number is 37.9% as of 2022.
make 10.0 times more money
Somalia has a GDP per capita of $661 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
be 70.9% more likely to be unemployed
In Somalia, 18.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
Life
be 79.0% less likely to die during childbirth
In Somalia, approximately 563.0 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 68.4% more likely to be literate
In Somalia, the literacy rate is 54.1% as of 2022. In South Africa, it is 91.2% as of 2024.
be 63.0% less likely to die during infancy
In Somalia, approximately 65.4 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 56.4% fewer children
In Somalia, there are approximately 42.4 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 74.4% more likely to have access to electricity
In Somalia, approximately 50% of people have electricity access (79% in urban areas, and 24% 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 2.8 times more likely to have internet access
In Somalia, approximately 27.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Africa, about 78.4% do as of 2024.
be 19.8% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Somalia, approximately 75% of people have access to drinking water (84% in urban areas, and 68% 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 2.4 times more on healthcare
Somalia spends 3.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 8.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 21.3% more likely to die in a road accident
In Somalia, road accidents kill 20.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 7.4 times more home broadband
Somalia has 0.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
live with 2.8 times more strain on fresh water
Somalia withdraws 25% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
Environment
be 26.6% less likely to die from air pollution
In Somalia, air pollution causes 64.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
emit 137.6 times more CO2
Somalia emits 0.1 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). How we calculate this
Compare further: Somalia vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Somalia? See an in-depth size comparison.