Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Ukraine instead of South Africa, you would:
Health
live 8.4 years longer
In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 66 years (63 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024. In Ukraine, that number is 75 years (70 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024.
be 28.2% less likely to be obese
In South Africa, 31.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Ukraine, that number is 22.8% of people as of 2024.
have 4.4 times more doctors per person
South Africa has 7.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Ukraine has 35.3 as of 2023.
Economy
be 38.8% less likely to live below the poverty line
In South Africa, 37.9% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Ukraine, however, that number is 23.2% as of 2020.
make 11.1% less money
South Africa has a GDP per capita of $6,598 as of 2025, while in Ukraine, the GDP per capita is $5,866 as of 2025.
Life
be 87.3% 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 Ukraine, 15.0 women do as of 2023.
be 68.6% 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 Ukraine, on the other hand, 7.6 children do as of 2024.
have 70.4% fewer children
In South Africa, there are approximately 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Ukraine, there are 5.5 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 Ukraine, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
Expenditures
spend 14.6% less on education
South Africa spends 6.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Ukraine spends 5.1% of total GDP on education as of 2021.
Safety
be 91.4% less likely to be murdered
South Africa has a homicide rate of 43.7 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In Ukraine, that number is 3.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 57.1% less likely to die in a road accident
In South Africa, road accidents kill 24.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Ukraine, they kill 10.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 4.0 times more home broadband
South Africa has 5.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Ukraine has 21.6 as of 2024.
live with 90.7% less strain on fresh water
South Africa withdraws 68% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Ukraine withdraws 6% as of 2022.
use 22.5% less electricity
South Africa uses 3,247 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Ukraine uses 2,516 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 54.5% less CO2
South Africa emits 6.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Ukraine emits 3.1 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 Ukraine, it causes 66.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: South Africa vs. Ukraine
Ukraine: At a glance
How big is Ukraine compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.