Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Marshall Islands instead of South Africa, you would:
Health
live 0.8 years longer
In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 66 years (63 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024. In Marshall Islands, that number is 67 years (65 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024.
be 32.1% more likely to be obese
In South Africa, 31.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Marshall Islands, that number is 42.0% of people as of 2024.
see 35.4% less spent on your healthcare
South Africa spends $1,354 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Marshall Islands spends $874 as of 2023.
have 16.9% less access to essential health services
South Africa scores 71 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Marshall Islands scores 59 as of 2021.
Economy
be 81.0% less likely to live below the poverty line
In South Africa, 37.9% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Marshall Islands, however, that number is 7.2% as of 2019.
make 28.7% more money
South Africa has a GDP per capita of $6,598 as of 2025, while in Marshall Islands, the GDP per capita is $8,489 as of 2025.
Life
be 31.4% more 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 Marshall Islands, 155.0 women do as of 2023.
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 Marshall Islands, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 15.9% less likely to have internet access
In South Africa, approximately 78.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Marshall Islands, about 65.9% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 27.9% more on education
South Africa spends 6.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Marshall Islands spends 7.7% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 50.5% more on healthcare
South Africa spends 8.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Marshall Islands, that number is 13.4% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 86.8% less coastline
South Africa has a total of 2,798 km of coastline. In Marshall Islands, that number is 370 km.
Safety
be 51.4% less likely to die in a road accident
In South Africa, road accidents kill 24.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Marshall Islands, they kill 11.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 56.1% less home broadband
South Africa has 5.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Marshall Islands has 2.4 as of 2022.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: South Africa vs. Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands: At a glance
How big is Marshall Islands compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.