Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Sri Lanka, you would:
Health
see 2.7 times more spent on your healthcare
Sri Lanka spends $507 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
be 172.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Sri Lanka, 0.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 17.2% of people as of 2024.
live 11.4 years less
In Sri Lanka, the average life expectancy is 78 years (74 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 66 years (63 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024.
be 2.8 times more likely to be obese
In Sri Lanka, 11.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
have 30.1% fewer doctors per person
Sri Lanka has 11.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
be 51.3% more likely to die by suicide
Sri Lanka has a suicide rate of 14.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 31.9% more money
Sri Lanka has a GDP per capita of $5,002 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
be 8.1 times more likely to be unemployed
In Sri Lanka, 4.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
be 2.7 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Sri Lanka, 14.3% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In South Africa, however, that number is 37.9% as of 2022.
Life
have 83.0% more children
In Sri Lanka, there are approximately 10.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Africa, there are 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 6.6 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Sri Lanka, approximately 18.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In South Africa, 118.0 women do as of 2023.
be 4.7 times more likely to die during infancy
In Sri Lanka, approximately 5.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In South Africa, on the other hand, 24.2 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 43.5% more likely to have internet access
In Sri Lanka, approximately 54.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Africa, about 78.4% do as of 2024.
be 12.3% less likely to have access to electricity
In Sri Lanka, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 88% of people on average (91% in urban areas, and 94% in rural areas) as of 2023.
Expenditures
spend 3.3 times more on education
Sri Lanka spends 1.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. South Africa spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 2.4 times more on healthcare
Sri Lanka spends 3.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 8.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 2.1 times more coastline
Sri Lanka has a total of 1,340 km of coastline. In South Africa, that number is 2,798 km.
Safety
be 13.2 times more likely to be murdered
Sri Lanka has a homicide rate of 3.3 per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, that number is 43.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 2.1 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Sri Lanka, road accidents kill 11.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 25.5% less strain on fresh water
Sri Lanka withdraws 91% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
use 5.0 times more electricity
Sri Lanka uses 644 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Africa uses 3,247 kWh as of 2023.
find 36.8% less home broadband
Sri Lanka has 8.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
Environment
be 27.0% more likely to die from air pollution
In Sri Lanka, air pollution causes 37.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
emit 6.5 times more CO2
Sri Lanka emits 1.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. South Africa emits 6.9 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Sri Lanka vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Sri Lanka? See an in-depth size comparison.