Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Nauru instead of South Africa, you would:
Health
see 82.8% more spent on your healthcare
South Africa spends $1,354 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Nauru spends $2,474 as of 2023.
live 4.0 years less
In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 66 years (63 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024. In Nauru, that number is 62 years (60 years for men, 64 years for women) as of 2024.
be 2.2 times more likely to be obese
In South Africa, 31.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Nauru, that number is 71.4% of people as of 2024.
have 15.5% less access to essential health services
South Africa scores 71 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Nauru scores 60 as of 2021.
Economy
make 2.2 times more money
South Africa has a GDP per capita of $6,598 as of 2025, while in Nauru, the GDP per capita is $14,640 as of 2025.
Life
be 68.2% 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 Nauru, on the other hand, 7.7 children do as of 2024.
have 32.9% more children
In South Africa, there are approximately 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Nauru, there are 24.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 2.3 times 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 Nauru, 273.0 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 Nauru, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
Expenditures
spend 2.0 times more on healthcare
South Africa spends 8.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Nauru, that number is 18.2% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 98.9% less coastline
South Africa has a total of 2,798 km of coastline. In Nauru, that number is 30 km.
Safety
be 67.3% less likely to die in a road accident
In South Africa, road accidents kill 24.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Nauru, they kill 8.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 86.2% more home broadband
South Africa has 5.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Nauru has 10.0 as of 2022.
Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: South Africa vs. Nauru
Nauru: At a glance
How big is Nauru compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.