Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Swaziland instead of South Africa, you would:
Health
be 41.7% less likely to be obese
In South Africa, 28.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Swaziland, that number is 16.5% of people as of 2016.
be 40.3% more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In South Africa, 19.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Swaziland, that number is 26.8% of people as of 2020.
live 5.6 years less
In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 65 years (64 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2022. In Swaziland, that number is 60 years (58 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2022.
Economy
pay a 26.7% lower top tax rate
South Africa has a top tax rate of 45.0% as of 2017. In Swaziland, the top tax rate is 33.0% as of 2016.
make 23.5% less money
South Africa has a GDP per capita of $13,600 as of 2024, while in Swaziland, the GDP per capita is $10,400 as of 2024.
be 3.5 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In South Africa, 16.6% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Swaziland, however, that number is 58.9% as of 2016.
Life
have 20.0% more children
In South Africa, there are approximately 17.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2025. In Swaziland, there are 20.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2025.
be 53.2% more 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 Swaziland, on the other hand, 39.6 children do as of 2022.
Basic Needs
be 23.7% less likely to have internet access
In South Africa, approximately 76.0% of the population has internet access as of 2023. In Swaziland, about 58.0% do as of 2023.
be 22.2% less likely to have access to improved drinking water
In South Africa, approximately 94% of people have improved drinking water access (99% in urban areas, and 84% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Swaziland, that number is 74% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 66% in rural areas) as of 2022.
Expenditures
spend 24.2% less on education
South Africa spends 6.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Swaziland spends 5.0% of total GDP on education as of 2021.
spend 24.4% less on healthcare
South Africa spends 8.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Swaziland, that number is 6.5% of GDP as of 2020.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Swaziland Revenue Authority, The World Factbook, South African Revenue Service.
Swaziland: At a glance
How big is Swaziland compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.