Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zimbabwe instead of South Africa, you would:
Health
be 43.0% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In South Africa, 17.2% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Zimbabwe, that number is 9.8% of people as of 2024.
be 53.7% less likely to be obese
In South Africa, 31.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Zimbabwe, that number is 14.7% of people as of 2024.
be 22.2% less likely to die by suicide
South Africa has a suicide rate of 22.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Zimbabwe, it is 17.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 3.2 years less
In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 66 years (63 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024. In Zimbabwe, that number is 63 years (60 years for men, 65 years for women) as of 2024.
see 92.4% less spent on your healthcare
South Africa spends $1,354 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zimbabwe spends $103 as of 2023.
have 82.9% fewer doctors per person
South Africa has 7.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Zimbabwe has 1.4 as of 2023.
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. Zimbabwe scores 55 as of 2021.
Economy
be 71.3% less likely to be unemployed
In South Africa, 32.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Zimbabwe, that number is 9.3% as of 2025.
make 54.2% less money
South Africa has a GDP per capita of $6,598 as of 2025, while in Zimbabwe, the GDP per capita is $3,021 as of 2025.
Life
have 61.7% more children
In South Africa, there are approximately 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Zimbabwe, there are 29.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 3.0 times more 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 Zimbabwe, 358.0 women do as of 2023.
be 2.6 times more 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 Zimbabwe, on the other hand, 62.4 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 29.3% less 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 Zimbabwe, that number is 62% of people on average (84% in urban areas, and 51% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 46.9% less likely to have internet access
In South Africa, approximately 78.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Zimbabwe, about 41.6% do as of 2024.
be 25.5% less 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 Zimbabwe, that number is 67% of people on average (94% in urban areas, and 54% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 93.7% less on education
South Africa spends 6.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Zimbabwe spends 0.4% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 67.1% less on healthcare
South Africa spends 8.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Zimbabwe, that number is 2.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 84.5% less likely to be murdered
South Africa has a homicide rate of 43.7 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In Zimbabwe, that number is 6.8 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 22.0% more likely to die in a road accident
In South Africa, road accidents kill 24.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Zimbabwe, they kill 29.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 31.8% less strain on fresh water
South Africa withdraws 68% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Zimbabwe withdraws 46% as of 2022.
find 63.7% less home broadband
South Africa has 5.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Zimbabwe has 1.9 as of 2024.
use 84.5% less electricity
South Africa uses 3,247 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Zimbabwe uses 504 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 88.8% less CO2
South Africa emits 6.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Zimbabwe emits 0.8 tonnes as of 2024.
be 19.1% more likely to die from air pollution
In South Africa, air pollution causes 47.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Zimbabwe, it causes 56.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: South Africa vs. Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: At a glance
How big is Zimbabwe compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.