Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Republic of the Congo instead of South Africa, you would:
Health
be 81.4% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In South Africa, 17.2% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 3.2% of people as of 2024.
be 61.6% less likely to be obese
In South Africa, 31.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 12.2% of people as of 2024.
be 69.9% less likely to die by suicide
South Africa has a suicide rate of 22.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Republic of the Congo, it is 6.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
see 84.6% less spent on your healthcare
South Africa spends $1,354 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Republic of the Congo spends $209 as of 2023.
have 78.2% fewer doctors per person
South Africa has 7.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Republic of the Congo has 1.7 as of 2022.
have 42.3% less access to essential health services
South Africa scores 71 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Republic of the Congo scores 41 as of 2021.
Economy
be 38.6% less likely to be unemployed
In South Africa, 32.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 19.9% as of 2025.
make 61.9% less money
South Africa has a GDP per capita of $6,598 as of 2025, while in Republic of the Congo, the GDP per capita is $2,515 as of 2025.
Life
have 64.6% more children
In South Africa, there are approximately 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Republic of the Congo, there are 30.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 2.0 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 Republic of the Congo, 241.0 women do as of 2023.
be 11.6% less likely to be literate
In South Africa, the literacy rate is 91.2% as of 2024. In Republic of the Congo, it is 80.6% as of 2021.
be 11.6% more 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 Republic of the Congo, on the other hand, 27.0 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 41.5% less 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 Republic of the Congo, that number is 51% of people on average (69% in urban areas, and 11% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 39.7% less likely to have internet access
In South Africa, approximately 78.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Republic of the Congo, about 47.2% do as of 2024.
be 18.5% less likely to have access to drinking water
In South Africa, approximately 90% of people have access to drinking water (98% in urban areas, and 73% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 73% of people on average (87% in urban areas, and 44% in rural areas) as of 2021.
Expenditures
spend 44.5% less on education
South Africa spends 6.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Republic of the Congo spends 3.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 63.0% less on healthcare
South Africa spends 8.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 3.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 94.0% less coastline
South Africa has a total of 2,798 km of coastline. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 169 km.
Safety
be 65.7% less likely to die in a road accident
In South Africa, road accidents kill 24.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Republic of the Congo, they kill 8.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 100.0% less strain on fresh water
South Africa withdraws 68% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Republic of the Congo withdraws 0% as of 2022.
find 76.3% less home broadband
South Africa has 5.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Republic of the Congo has 1.3 as of 2023.
use 89.6% less electricity
South Africa uses 3,247 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Republic of the Congo uses 338 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 80.5% less CO2
South Africa emits 6.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Republic of the Congo emits 1.3 tonnes as of 2024.
be 40.4% more likely to die from air pollution
In South Africa, air pollution causes 47.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Republic of the Congo, it causes 66.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: South Africa vs. Republic of the Congo
Republic of the Congo: At a glance
How big is Republic of the Congo compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.