Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Bosnia and Herzegovina instead of South Africa, you would:
Health
live 11.7 years longer
In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 66 years (63 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, that number is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.
be 34.0% less likely to be obese
In South Africa, 31.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, that number is 21.0% of people as of 2024.
see 46.9% more spent on your healthcare
South Africa spends $1,354 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Bosnia and Herzegovina spends $1,989 as of 2023.
have 3.3 times more doctors per person
South Africa has 7.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Bosnia and Herzegovina has 25.8 as of 2019.
be 59.8% less likely to die by suicide
South Africa has a suicide rate of 22.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, it is 9.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 65.9% less likely to be unemployed
In South Africa, 32.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, that number is 11.0% as of 2025.
make 57.4% more money
South Africa has a GDP per capita of $6,598 as of 2025, while in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the GDP per capita is $10,382 as of 2025.
Life
be 94.9% less likely to die during childbirth
In South Africa, approximately 118.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, 6.0 women do as of 2023.
be 77.3% less likely to die during infancy
In South Africa, approximately 24.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, on the other hand, 5.5 children do as of 2024.
have 58.2% fewer children
In South Africa, there are approximately 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, there are 7.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 14.0% more likely to have access to electricity
In South Africa, approximately 88% of people have electricity access (91% in urban areas, and 94% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
Expenditures
spend 46.0% less on education
South Africa spends 6.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Bosnia and Herzegovina spends 3.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Geography
see 99.3% less coastline
South Africa has a total of 2,798 km of coastline. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, that number is 20 km.
Safety
be 97.2% less likely to be murdered
South Africa has a homicide rate of 43.7 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, that number is 1.2 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 44.1% less likely to die in a road accident
In South Africa, road accidents kill 24.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, they kill 13.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 5.5 times more home broadband
South Africa has 5.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Bosnia and Herzegovina has 29.4 as of 2024.
live with 96.9% less strain on fresh water
South Africa withdraws 68% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Bosnia and Herzegovina withdraws 2% as of 2022.
use 13.2% more electricity
South Africa uses 3,247 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Bosnia and Herzegovina uses 3,677 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 17.0% more likely to die from air pollution
In South Africa, air pollution causes 47.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, it causes 55.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: South Africa vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina: At a glance
How big is Bosnia and Herzegovina compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.