Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Thailand, you would:
Health
see 26.9% more spent on your healthcare
Thailand spends $1,067 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
have 46.8% more doctors per person
Thailand has 5.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
be 17.2 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Thailand, 1.0% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 17.2% of people as of 2024.
live 10.2 years less
In Thailand, the average life expectancy is 77 years (72 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 94.3% more likely to be obese
In Thailand, 16.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
have 13.4% less access to essential health services
Thailand scores 82 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Africa scores 71 as of 2021.
be 34.4% more likely to die by suicide
Thailand has a suicide rate of 16.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 41.5 times more likely to be unemployed
In Thailand, 0.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
be 7.0 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Thailand, 5.4% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In South Africa, however, that number is 37.9% as of 2022.
make 18.1% less money
Thailand has a GDP per capita of $8,057 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.3 times more children
In Thailand, there are approximately 8.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Africa, there are 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 3.5 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Thailand, approximately 34.0 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 3.1 times more likely to die during infancy
In Thailand, approximately 7.7 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.
Basic Needs
be 12.3% less likely to have access to electricity
In Thailand, 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.
be 13.8% less likely to have internet access
In Thailand, approximately 90.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Africa, about 78.4% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.4 times more on education
Thailand spends 2.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. South Africa spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 96.3% more on healthcare
Thailand spends 4.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 8.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 13.1% less coastline
Thailand has a total of 3,219 km of coastline. In South Africa, that number is 2,798 km.
Safety
be 44.7% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Thailand, 67% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2022. In South Africa, that number is 37% as of 2022.
Infrastructure
find 64.1% less home broadband
Thailand has 14.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
live with 2.9 times more strain on fresh water
Thailand withdraws 23% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
Environment
be 62.1% more likely to die from air pollution
In Thailand, air pollution causes 29.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
emit 73.7% more CO2
Thailand emits 4.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. South Africa emits 6.9 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Thailand vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Thailand? See an in-depth size comparison.