Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Japan instead of South Africa, you would:
Health
live 17.7 years longer
In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 66 years (63 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024. In Japan, that number is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024.
be 81.4% less likely to be obese
In South Africa, 31.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Japan, that number is 5.9% of people as of 2024.
see 4.0 times more spent on your healthcare
South Africa spends $1,354 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Japan spends $5,365 as of 2023.
have 3.3 times more doctors per person
South Africa has 7.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Japan has 26.5 as of 2022.
have 16.9% more access to essential health services
South Africa scores 71 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Japan scores 83 as of 2021.
be 21.8% less likely to die by suicide
South Africa has a suicide rate of 22.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Japan, it is 17.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 92.4% less likely to be unemployed
In South Africa, 32.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Japan, that number is 2.5% as of 2025.
make 5.4 times more money
South Africa has a GDP per capita of $6,598 as of 2025, while in Japan, the GDP per capita is $35,951 as of 2025.
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 Japan, 3.0 women do as of 2023.
be 92.6% 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 Japan, on the other hand, 1.8 children do as of 2024.
have 69.2% fewer children
In South Africa, there are approximately 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Japan, there are 5.7 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 Japan, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
Expenditures
spend 44.5% less on education
South Africa spends 6.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Japan spends 3.3% of total GDP on education as of 2021.
spend 20.5% more on healthcare
South Africa spends 8.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Japan, that number is 10.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 10.6 times more coastline
South Africa has a total of 2,798 km of coastline. In Japan, that number is 29,751 km.
Safety
be 99.5% less likely to be murdered
South Africa has a homicide rate of 43.7 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In Japan, that number is 0.2 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 2.3 times more likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In South Africa, 37% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2022. In Japan, that number is 83% as of 2019.
be 89.0% less likely to die in a road accident
In South Africa, road accidents kill 24.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Japan, they kill 2.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 7.2 times more home broadband
South Africa has 5.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Japan has 38.6 as of 2023.
live with 45.8% less strain on fresh water
South Africa withdraws 68% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Japan withdraws 37% as of 2022.
use 2.3 times more electricity
South Africa uses 3,247 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Japan uses 7,530 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 74.5% less likely to die from air pollution
In South Africa, air pollution causes 47.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Japan, it causes 12.0 as of 2019.
emit 14.0% more CO2
South Africa emits 6.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Japan emits 7.8 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: South Africa vs. Japan
Japan: At a glance
How big is Japan compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.