Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Romania instead of South Africa, you would:
Health
be 98.8% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In South Africa, 17.2% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Romania, that number is 0.2% of people as of 2024.
live 10.1 years longer
In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 66 years (63 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024. In Romania, that number is 76 years (73 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024.
see 93.1% more spent on your healthcare
South Africa spends $1,354 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Romania spends $2,614 as of 2023.
have 4.6 times more doctors per person
South Africa has 7.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Romania has 36.2 as of 2022.
be 56.9% less likely to die by suicide
South Africa has a suicide rate of 22.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Romania, it is 9.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 81.5% less likely to be unemployed
In South Africa, 32.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Romania, that number is 6.0% as of 2025.
be 51.5% less likely to live below the poverty line
In South Africa, 37.9% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Romania, however, that number is 18.4% as of 2024.
make 3.4 times more money
South Africa has a GDP per capita of $6,598 as of 2025, while in Romania, the GDP per capita is $22,538 as of 2025.
Life
be 89.8% 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 Romania, 12.0 women do as of 2023.
be 75.2% 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 Romania, on the other hand, 6.0 children do as of 2024.
have 59.4% fewer children
In South Africa, there are approximately 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Romania, there are 7.5 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 Romania, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 16.5% more likely to have internet access
In South Africa, approximately 78.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Romania, about 91.3% do as of 2024.
be 10.9% more 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 Romania, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 45.5% less on education
South Africa spends 6.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Romania spends 3.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 35.9% less on healthcare
South Africa spends 8.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Romania, that number is 5.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 92.0% less coastline
South Africa has a total of 2,798 km of coastline. In Romania, that number is 225 km.
Safety
be 97.5% less likely to be murdered
South Africa has a homicide rate of 43.7 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In Romania, that number is 1.1 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 60.8% less likely to die in a road accident
In South Africa, road accidents kill 24.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Romania, they kill 9.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 6.7 times more home broadband
South Africa has 5.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Romania has 35.8 as of 2024.
live with 88.7% less strain on fresh water
South Africa withdraws 68% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Romania withdraws 8% as of 2022.
use 20.4% less electricity
South Africa uses 3,247 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Romania uses 2,585 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 45.9% less CO2
South Africa emits 6.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Romania emits 3.7 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: South Africa vs. Romania
Romania: At a glance
How big is Romania compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.