Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Greenland instead of South Africa, you would:
Health
live 4.0 years longer
In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 66 years (63 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024. In Greenland, that number is 70 years (68 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.
be 11.7% less likely to be obese
In South Africa, 31.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Greenland, that number is 28.1% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 8.9 times more money
South Africa has a GDP per capita of $6,598 as of 2025, while in Greenland, the GDP per capita is $58,499 as of 2023.
Life
be 63.8% 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 Greenland, on the other hand, 8.8 children do as of 2022.
have 35.1% fewer children
In South Africa, there are approximately 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Greenland, there are 12.0 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 Greenland, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 10.9% more likely to have access to drinking water
In South Africa, approximately 90% of people have access to drinking water (98% in urban areas, and 73% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Greenland, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024.
be 11.3% less likely to have internet access
In South Africa, approximately 78.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Greenland, about 69.5% do as of 2021.
Geography
see 15.8 times more coastline
South Africa has a total of 2,798 km of coastline. In Greenland, that number is 44,087 km.
Infrastructure
find 6.0 times more home broadband
South Africa has 5.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Greenland has 32.0 as of 2022.
Environment
emit 51.9% more CO2
South Africa emits 6.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Greenland emits 10.4 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), The World Factbook (2021–2022), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: South Africa vs. Greenland
Greenland: At a glance
How big is Greenland compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.