Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Tanzania, you would:
Health
see 11.4 times more spent on your healthcare
Tanzania spends $119 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
have 5.9 times more doctors per person
Tanzania has 1.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
have 65.1% more access to essential health services
Tanzania scores 43 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Africa scores 71 as of 2021.
be 4.9 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Tanzania, 3.5% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 17.2% of people as of 2024.
live 0.9 years less
In Tanzania, the average life expectancy is 67 years (64 years for men, 70 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 Tanzania, 11.5% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
be 4.4 times more likely to die by suicide
Tanzania has a suicide rate of 5.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 5.0 times more money
Tanzania has a GDP per capita of $1,319 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
be 20.6 times more likely to be unemployed
In Tanzania, 1.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
Life
be 57.2% less likely to die during childbirth
In Tanzania, approximately 276.0 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 16.5% more likely to be literate
In Tanzania, the literacy rate is 78.2% as of 2022. In South Africa, it is 91.2% as of 2024.
be 15.7% less likely to die during infancy
In Tanzania, approximately 28.7 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.
have 46.9% fewer children
In Tanzania, there are approximately 34.8 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 81.6% more likely to have access to electricity
In Tanzania, approximately 48% of people have electricity access (82% in urban areas, and 28% 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.
be 2.5 times more likely to have internet access
In Tanzania, approximately 31.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Africa, about 78.4% do as of 2024.
be 39.6% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Tanzania, approximately 65% of people have access to drinking water (86% in urban areas, and 51% in rural areas) as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 90% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 73% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 90.5% more on education
Tanzania spends 3.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. South Africa spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 2.9 times more on healthcare
Tanzania spends 3.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 8.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 96.5% more coastline
Tanzania has a total of 1,424 km of coastline. In South Africa, that number is 2,798 km.
Safety
be 11.7 times more likely to be murdered
Tanzania has a homicide rate of 3.8 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In South Africa, that number is 43.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 55.1% more likely to die in a road accident
In Tanzania, road accidents kill 15.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 21.4 times more home broadband
Tanzania has 0.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
use 24.1 times more electricity
Tanzania uses 135 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Africa uses 3,247 kWh as of 2023.
live with 5.2 times more strain on fresh water
Tanzania withdraws 13% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
Environment
be 30.6% more likely to die from air pollution
In Tanzania, air pollution causes 36.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
emit 22.2 times more CO2
Tanzania emits 0.3 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), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Tanzania vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Tanzania? See an in-depth size comparison.