If you lived in Brunei instead of South Africa, you would:

Health

live 13.1 years longer

In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 65 years (64 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2022. In Brunei, that number is 78 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2022.

be 50.2% less likely to be obese

In South Africa, 28.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Brunei, that number is 14.1% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 5.4 times more money

South Africa has a GDP per capita of $11,500 as of 2020, while in Brunei, the GDP per capita is $62,200 as of 2020.

be 75.8% less likely to be unemployed

In South Africa, 28.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2019. In Brunei, that number is 6.9% as of 2017.

Life

be 73.9% less likely to die during childbirth

In South Africa, approximately 119.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Brunei, 31.0 women do as of 2017.

be 59.3% less likely to die during infancy

In South Africa, approximately 25.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Brunei, on the other hand, 10.5 children do as of 2022.

have 13.0% fewer children

In South Africa, there are approximately 18.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Brunei, there are 16.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 35.7% more likely to have internet access

In South Africa, approximately 70.0% of the population has internet access as of 2020. In Brunei, about 95.0% do as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 35.3% less on education

South Africa spends 6.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Brunei spends 4.4% of total GDP on education as of 2016.

spend 75.8% less on healthcare

South Africa spends 9.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In Brunei, that number is 2.2% of GDP as of 2019.

Geography

see 94.2% less coastline

South Africa has a total of 2,798 km of coastline. In Brunei, that number is 161 km.


The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Brunei: At a glance

Brunei is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 5,265 sq km. The Sultanate of Brunei's influence peaked between the 15th and 17th centuries when its control extended over coastal areas of northwest Borneo and the southern Philippines. Brunei subsequently entered a period of decline brought on by internal strife over royal succession, colonial expansion of European powers, and piracy. In 1888, Brunei became a British protectorate; independence was achieved in 1984. The same family has ruled Brunei for over six centuries. Brunei benefits from extensive petroleum and natural gas fields, the source of one of the highest per capita GDPs in Asia.
Read more

How big is Brunei compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Brunei.or South Africa It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.