If you lived in Czech Republic instead of South Africa, you would:

Health

live 13.7 years longer

In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 66 years (63 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024. In Czech Republic, that number is 80 years (77 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 17.1% less likely to be obese

In South Africa, 31.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Czech Republic, that number is 26.3% of people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

see 3.5 times more spent on your healthcare

South Africa spends $1,354 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Czech Republic spends $4,674 as of 2024.

View global rankings →

have 5.5 times more doctors per person

South Africa has 7.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Czech Republic has 43.5 as of 2022.

View global rankings →

have 18.3% more access to essential health services

South Africa scores 71 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Czech Republic scores 84 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

be 40.2% less likely to die by suicide

South Africa has a suicide rate of 22.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Czech Republic, it is 13.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Economy

be 91.3% less likely to be unemployed

In South Africa, 32.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Czech Republic, that number is 2.8% as of 2025.

View global rankings →

be 73.1% less likely to live below the poverty line

In South Africa, 37.9% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Czech Republic, however, that number is 10.2% as of 2021.

View global rankings →

make 5.4 times more money

South Africa has a GDP per capita of $6,598 as of 2025, while in Czech Republic, the GDP per capita is $35,917 as of 2025.

View global rankings →

Life

be 97.5% 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 Czech Republic, 3.0 women do as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 91.3% 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 Czech Republic, on the other hand, 2.1 children do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

have 58.3% fewer children

In South Africa, there are approximately 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Czech Republic, there are 7.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

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 Czech Republic, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 11.9% more likely to have internet access

In South Africa, approximately 78.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Czech Republic, about 87.7% do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Expenditures

spend 28.6% less on education

South Africa spends 6.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Czech Republic spends 4.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

View global rankings →

Safety

be 98.2% less likely to be murdered

South Africa has a homicide rate of 43.7 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In Czech Republic, that number is 0.8 per 100,000 as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 78.8% less likely to die in a road accident

In South Africa, road accidents kill 24.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Czech Republic, they kill 5.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Infrastructure

find 7.3 times more home broadband

South Africa has 5.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Czech Republic has 38.9 as of 2024.

View global rankings →

live with 67.5% less strain on fresh water

South Africa withdraws 68% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Czech Republic withdraws 22% as of 2022.

View global rankings →

use 81.0% more electricity

South Africa uses 3,247 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Czech Republic uses 5,877 kWh as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Environment

be 29.8% less likely to die from air pollution

In South Africa, air pollution causes 47.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Czech Republic, it causes 33.0 as of 2019.

View global rankings →


Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Czech Republic: At a glance

Czech Republic is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 77,247 sq km. At the close of World War I, the Czechs and Slovaks of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire merged to form Czechoslovakia. During the interwar years, having rejected a federal system, the new country's predominantly Czech leaders were frequently preoccupied with meeting the increasingly strident demands of other ethnic minorities within the republic, most notably the Slovaks, the Sudeten Germans, and the Ruthenians (Ukrainians). On the eve of World War II, Nazi Germany occupied the territory that today comprises the Czech Republic and Slovakia became an independent state allied with Germany. After the war, a reunited but truncated Czechoslovakia (less Ruthenia) fell within the Soviet sphere of influence. In 1968, an invasion by Warsaw Pact troops ended the efforts of the country's leaders to liberalize communist rule and create "socialism with a human face," ushering in a period of repression known as "normalization." The peaceful "Velvet Revolution" swept the Communist Party from power at the end of 1989 and inaugurated a return to democratic rule and a market economy. On 1 January 1993, the country underwent a nonviolent "velvet divorce" into its two national components, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Czech Republic joined NATO in 1999 and the European Union in 2004.
Read more

How big is Czech Republic 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 Czech Republic 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.