Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Netherlands instead of South Africa, you would:

Health

be 99.0% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In South Africa, 19.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Netherlands, that number is 0.2% of people as of 2020.

live 16.8 years longer

In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 65 years (64 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2022. In Netherlands, that number is 82 years (80 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2022.

be 27.9% less likely to be obese

In South Africa, 28.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Netherlands, that number is 20.4% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 4.7 times more money

South Africa has a GDP per capita of $11,500 as of 2020, while in Netherlands, the GDP per capita is $54,200 as of 2020.

be 88.0% less likely to be unemployed

In South Africa, 28.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2019. In Netherlands, that number is 3.4% as of 2019.

be 18.1% less likely to live below the poverty line

In South Africa, 16.6% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Netherlands, however, that number is 13.6% as of 2019.

pay a 15.6% higher top tax rate

South Africa has a top tax rate of 45.0% as of 2017. In Netherlands, the top tax rate is 52.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 95.8% less likely to die during childbirth

In South Africa, approximately 119.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Netherlands, 5.0 women do as of 2017.

be 86.9% less likely to die during infancy

In South Africa, approximately 25.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Netherlands, on the other hand, 3.4 children do as of 2022.

have 40.8% fewer children

In South Africa, there are approximately 18.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Netherlands, there are 11.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 30.0% more likely to have internet access

In South Africa, approximately 70.0% of the population has internet access as of 2020. In Netherlands, about 91.0% do as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 20.6% less on education

South Africa spends 6.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Netherlands spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2018.

spend 11.0% more on healthcare

South Africa spends 9.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In Netherlands, that number is 10.1% of GDP as of 2019.

Geography

see 83.9% less coastline

South Africa has a total of 2,798 km of coastline. In Netherlands, that number is 451 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Tax and Customs Administration - Belastingdienst, South African Revenue Service.

Netherlands: At a glance

Netherlands is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 33,893 sq km. The Dutch United Provinces declared their independence from Spain in 1579; during the 17th century, they became a leading seafaring and commercial power, with settlements and colonies around the world. After a 20-year French occupation, a Kingdom of the Netherlands was formed in 1815. In 1830 Belgium seceded and formed a separate kingdom. The Netherlands remained neutral in World War I, but suffered invasion and occupation by Germany in World War II. A modern, industrialized nation, the Netherlands is also a large exporter of agricultural products. The country was a founding member of NATO and the EEC (now the EU) and participated in the introduction of the euro in 1999. In October 2010, the former Netherlands Antilles was dissolved and the three smallest islands - Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba - became special municipalities in the Netherlands administrative structure. The larger islands of Sint Maarten and Curacao joined the Netherlands and Aruba as constituent countries forming the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
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How big is Netherlands compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.

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