Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Saudi Arabia instead of South Africa, you would:
Health
be 99.4% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In South Africa, 17.2% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Saudi Arabia, that number is 0.1% of people as of 2024.
live 12.7 years longer
In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 66 years (63 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024. In Saudi Arabia, that number is 79 years (77 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.
see 2.6 times more spent on your healthcare
South Africa spends $1,354 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Saudi Arabia spends $3,475 as of 2023.
have 4.3 times more doctors per person
South Africa has 7.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Saudi Arabia has 34.1 as of 2023.
be 95.7% less likely to die by suicide
South Africa has a suicide rate of 22.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Saudi Arabia, it is 0.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 26.2% more likely to be obese
In South Africa, 31.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Saudi Arabia, that number is 40.1% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 90.6% less likely to be unemployed
In South Africa, 32.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Saudi Arabia, that number is 3.0% as of 2025.
make 5.2 times more money
South Africa has a GDP per capita of $6,598 as of 2025, while in Saudi Arabia, the GDP per capita is $34,537 as of 2025.
Life
be 94.1% 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 Saudi Arabia, 7.0 women do as of 2023.
be 80.6% 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 Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, 4.7 children do as of 2024.
have 10.7% fewer children
In South Africa, there are approximately 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Saudi Arabia, there are 16.5 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 Saudi Arabia, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 27.6% more likely to have internet access
In South Africa, approximately 78.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Saudi Arabia, about 100.0% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 25.6% less on education
South Africa spends 6.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Saudi Arabia spends 4.5% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 36.1% less on healthcare
South Africa spends 8.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Saudi Arabia, that number is 5.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 97.8% less likely to be murdered
South Africa has a homicide rate of 43.7 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In Saudi Arabia, that number is 0.9 per 100,000 as of 2019.
be 24.5% less likely to die in a road accident
In South Africa, road accidents kill 24.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Saudi Arabia, they kill 18.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 8.2 times more home broadband
South Africa has 5.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Saudi Arabia has 44.1 as of 2024.
use 3.7 times more electricity
South Africa uses 3,247 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Saudi Arabia uses 11,911 kWh as of 2023.
live with 14.4 times more strain on fresh water
South Africa withdraws 68% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Saudi Arabia withdraws 974% as of 2022.
Environment
be 93.6% more likely to die from air pollution
In South Africa, air pollution causes 47.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Saudi Arabia, it causes 91.0 as of 2019.
emit 2.7 times more CO2
South Africa emits 6.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Saudi Arabia emits 18.5 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: South Africa vs. Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: At a glance
How big is Saudi Arabia compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.