Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United Kingdom 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 United Kingdom, that number is 0.2% of people as of 2023.
live 15.1 years longer
In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 66 years (63 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024. In United Kingdom, that number is 81 years (80 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2024.
be 13.8% less likely to be obese
In South Africa, 31.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United Kingdom, that number is 27.4% of people as of 2024.
see 4.9 times more spent on your healthcare
South Africa spends $1,354 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United Kingdom spends $6,606 as of 2024.
have 4.2 times more doctors per person
South Africa has 7.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. United Kingdom has 33.0 as of 2023.
have 23.9% more access to essential health services
South Africa scores 71 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. United Kingdom scores 88 as of 2021.
be 57.2% less likely to die by suicide
South Africa has a suicide rate of 22.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United Kingdom, it is 9.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 85.3% less likely to be unemployed
In South Africa, 32.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In United Kingdom, that number is 4.8% as of 2025.
make 8.7 times more money
South Africa has a GDP per capita of $6,598 as of 2025, while in United Kingdom, the GDP per capita is $57,602 as of 2025.
Life
be 93.2% 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 United Kingdom, 8.0 women do as of 2023.
be 83.1% 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 United Kingdom, on the other hand, 4.1 children do as of 2024.
have 46.5% fewer children
In South Africa, there are approximately 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United Kingdom, there are 9.9 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 United Kingdom, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 21.8% more likely to have internet access
In South Africa, approximately 78.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In United Kingdom, about 95.5% 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 United Kingdom, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 24.9% more on healthcare
South Africa spends 8.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In United Kingdom, that number is 11.1% of GDP as of 2024.
Geography
see 4.4 times more coastline
South Africa has a total of 2,798 km of coastline. In United Kingdom, that number is 12,429 km.
Safety
be 97.4% less likely to be murdered
South Africa has a homicide rate of 43.7 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In United Kingdom, that number is 1.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 90.2% less likely to die in a road accident
In South Africa, road accidents kill 24.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In United Kingdom, they kill 2.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 7.9 times more home broadband
South Africa has 5.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. United Kingdom has 42.2 as of 2024.
live with 78.8% less strain on fresh water
South Africa withdraws 68% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United Kingdom withdraws 14% as of 2022.
use 29.2% more electricity
South Africa uses 3,247 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. United Kingdom uses 4,195 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 72.3% less likely to die from air pollution
In South Africa, air pollution causes 47.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United Kingdom, it causes 13.0 as of 2019.
emit 38.7% less CO2
South Africa emits 6.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United Kingdom emits 4.2 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. United Kingdom
United Kingdom: At a glance
How big is United Kingdom compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.