Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Dominica instead of South Africa, you would:
Health
be 97.1% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In South Africa, 17.2% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Dominica, that number is 0.5% of people as of 2024.
live 5.0 years longer
In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 66 years (63 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024. In Dominica, that number is 71 years (68 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024.
see 28.5% less spent on your healthcare
South Africa spends $1,354 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Dominica spends $968 as of 2023.
have 31.0% less access to essential health services
South Africa scores 71 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Dominica scores 49 as of 2021.
Economy
make 66.6% more money
South Africa has a GDP per capita of $6,598 as of 2025, while in Dominica, the GDP per capita is $10,989 as of 2025.
Life
be 69.5% 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 Dominica, 36.0 women do as of 2023.
be 37.6% more 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 Dominica, on the other hand, 33.3 children do as of 2024.
have 40.6% fewer children
In South Africa, there are approximately 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Dominica, there are 11.0 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 Dominica, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
Expenditures
spend 10.5% less on education
South Africa spends 6.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Dominica spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 43.8% less on healthcare
South Africa spends 8.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Dominica, that number is 5.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 94.7% less coastline
South Africa has a total of 2,798 km of coastline. In Dominica, that number is 148 km.
Safety
be 38.1% less likely to be murdered
South Africa has a homicide rate of 43.7 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In Dominica, that number is 27.1 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 55.1% less likely to die in a road accident
In South Africa, road accidents kill 24.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Dominica, they kill 11.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 3.9 times more home broadband
South Africa has 5.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Dominica has 20.9 as of 2022.
live with 85.2% less strain on fresh water
South Africa withdraws 68% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Dominica withdraws 10% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 81.5% less CO2
South Africa emits 6.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Dominica emits 1.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: South Africa vs. Dominica
Dominica: At a glance
How big is Dominica compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.