Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Dominican Republic instead of South Africa, you would:
Health
be 94.2% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In South Africa, 17.2% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Dominican Republic, that number is 1.0% of people as of 2024.
live 7.6 years longer
In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 66 years (63 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024. In Dominican Republic, that number is 74 years (71 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2024.
have 3.1 times more doctors per person
South Africa has 7.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Dominican Republic has 24.3 as of 2023.
be 81.2% less likely to die by suicide
South Africa has a suicide rate of 22.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Dominican Republic, it is 4.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
see 13.7% less spent on your healthcare
South Africa spends $1,354 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Dominican Republic spends $1,169 as of 2023.
Economy
be 84.3% less likely to be unemployed
In South Africa, 32.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Dominican Republic, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.
be 54.4% less likely to live below the poverty line
In South Africa, 37.9% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Dominican Republic, however, that number is 17.3% as of 2025.
make 67.6% more money
South Africa has a GDP per capita of $6,598 as of 2025, while in Dominican Republic, the GDP per capita is $11,059 as of 2025.
Life
be 14.5% 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 Dominican Republic, on the other hand, 27.7 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 13.6% 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 Dominican Republic, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 98% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 16.1% more likely to have internet access
In South Africa, approximately 78.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Dominican Republic, about 91.0% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 37.5% less on education
South Africa spends 6.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Dominican Republic spends 3.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 48.4% less on healthcare
South Africa spends 8.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Dominican Republic, that number is 4.6% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 54.0% less coastline
South Africa has a total of 2,798 km of coastline. In Dominican Republic, that number is 1,288 km.
Safety
be 75.0% less likely to be murdered
South Africa has a homicide rate of 43.7 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In Dominican Republic, that number is 10.9 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 11.8% more likely to die in a road accident
In South Africa, road accidents kill 24.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Dominican Republic, they kill 27.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 2.1 times more home broadband
South Africa has 5.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Dominican Republic has 11.2 as of 2024.
live with 41.5% less strain on fresh water
South Africa withdraws 68% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Dominican Republic withdraws 40% as of 2022.
use 42.5% less electricity
South Africa uses 3,247 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Dominican Republic uses 1,867 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 42.6% less likely to die from air pollution
In South Africa, air pollution causes 47.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Dominican Republic, it causes 27.0 as of 2019.
emit 56.5% less CO2
South Africa emits 6.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Dominican Republic emits 3.0 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: South Africa vs. Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic: At a glance
How big is Dominican Republic compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.