Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Tajikistan, you would:
Health
see 3.7 times more spent on your healthcare
Tajikistan spends $364 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
be 86.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Tajikistan, 0.2% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 17.2% of people as of 2024.
live 5.6 years less
In Tajikistan, the average life expectancy is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 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 37.8% more likely to be obese
In Tajikistan, 23.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
have 57.5% fewer doctors per person
Tajikistan has 18.7 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
be 9.2 times more likely to die by suicide
Tajikistan has a suicide rate of 2.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 4.0 times more money
Tajikistan has a GDP per capita of $1,637 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
be 4.7 times more likely to be unemployed
In Tajikistan, 6.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
be 91.4% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Tajikistan, 19.8% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In South Africa, however, that number is 37.9% as of 2022.
Life
be 8.4 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Tajikistan, approximately 14.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In South Africa, 118.0 women do as of 2023.
have 27.0% fewer children
In Tajikistan, there are approximately 25.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Africa, there are 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 40.5% more likely to have internet access
In Tajikistan, approximately 55.8% 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 Tajikistan, 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 10.7% more on education
Tajikistan spends 5.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. South Africa spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 19.8% more on healthcare
Tajikistan spends 7.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 8.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 49.1 times more likely to be murdered
Tajikistan has a homicide rate of 0.9 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In South Africa, that number is 43.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 76.3% more likely to die in a road accident
In Tajikistan, road accidents kill 13.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 5.5 times more home broadband
Tajikistan has 1.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
use 2.2 times more electricity
Tajikistan uses 1,497 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Africa uses 3,247 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 70.4% less likely to die from air pollution
In Tajikistan, air pollution causes 159.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
emit 7.5 times more CO2
Tajikistan emits 0.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. South Africa emits 6.9 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Tajikistan vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Tajikistan? See an in-depth size comparison.