Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Iran instead of South Africa, you would:
Health
live 11.5 years longer
In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 66 years (63 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024. In Iran, that number is 78 years (76 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024.
be 22.7% less likely to be obese
In South Africa, 31.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Iran, that number is 24.6% of people as of 2024.
have 2.3 times more doctors per person
South Africa has 7.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Iran has 18.1 as of 2023.
be 81.7% less likely to die by suicide
South Africa has a suicide rate of 22.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Iran, it is 4.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
see 21.4% less spent on your healthcare
South Africa spends $1,354 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Iran spends $1,064 as of 2023.
Economy
be 74.4% less likely to be unemployed
In South Africa, 32.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Iran, that number is 8.3% as of 2025.
make 40.5% less money
South Africa has a GDP per capita of $6,598 as of 2025, while in Iran, the GDP per capita is $3,924 as of 2025.
Life
be 86.4% 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 Iran, 16.0 women do as of 2023.
be 57.4% 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 Iran, on the other hand, 10.3 children do as of 2024.
have 32.0% fewer children
In South Africa, there are approximately 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Iran, there are 12.6 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 Iran, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
Expenditures
spend 53.2% less on education
South Africa spends 6.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Iran spends 2.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 32.3% less on healthcare
South Africa spends 8.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Iran, that number is 6.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 12.8% less coastline
South Africa has a total of 2,798 km of coastline. In Iran, that number is 2,440 km.
Safety
be 15.9% less likely to die in a road accident
In South Africa, road accidents kill 24.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Iran, they kill 20.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 2.3 times more home broadband
South Africa has 5.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Iran has 12.1 as of 2024.
use 17.5% more electricity
South Africa uses 3,247 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Iran uses 3,815 kWh as of 2023.
live with 20.3% more strain on fresh water
South Africa withdraws 68% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Iran withdraws 81% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 31.5% more CO2
South Africa emits 6.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Iran emits 9.1 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: South Africa vs. Iran
Iran: At a glance
How big is Iran compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.