Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Samoa instead of South Africa, you would:
Health
live 5.5 years longer
In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 66 years (63 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024. In Samoa, that number is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.
be 46.2% less likely to die by suicide
South Africa has a suicide rate of 22.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Samoa, it is 12.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 2.0 times more likely to be obese
In South Africa, 31.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Samoa, that number is 64.3% of people as of 2024.
see 64.9% less spent on your healthcare
South Africa spends $1,354 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Samoa spends $475 as of 2023.
have 29.3% fewer doctors per person
South Africa has 7.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Samoa has 5.6 as of 2021.
have 22.5% less access to essential health services
South Africa scores 71 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Samoa scores 55 as of 2021.
Economy
be 84.6% less likely to be unemployed
In South Africa, 32.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Samoa, that number is 5.0% as of 2025.
make 11.0% less money
South Africa has a GDP per capita of $6,598 as of 2025, while in Samoa, the GDP per capita is $5,873 as of 2025.
Life
be 49.2% 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 Samoa, on the other hand, 12.3 children do as of 2024.
have 35.1% more children
In South Africa, there are approximately 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Samoa, there are 25.0 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 Samoa, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 10.3% 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 Samoa, that number is 99% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 99% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 23.9% less on healthcare
South Africa spends 8.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Samoa, that number is 6.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 85.6% less coastline
South Africa has a total of 2,798 km of coastline. In Samoa, that number is 403 km.
Safety
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 Samoa, they kill 9.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 83.6% less home broadband
South Africa has 5.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Samoa has 0.9 as of 2022.
Environment
be 27.7% less likely to die from air pollution
In South Africa, air pollution causes 47.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Samoa, it causes 34.0 as of 2019.
emit 76.7% less CO2
South Africa emits 6.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Samoa emits 1.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: South Africa vs. Samoa
Samoa: At a glance
How big is Samoa compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.