Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Trinidad and Tobago, you would:
Health
live 7.3 years less
In Trinidad and Tobago, the average life expectancy is 74 years (71 years for men, 77 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.
see 39.7% less spent on your healthcare
Trinidad and Tobago spends $2,244 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
have 80.9% fewer doctors per person
Trinidad and Tobago has 41.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
be 67.2% more likely to die by suicide
Trinidad and Tobago has a suicide rate of 13.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 9.7 times more likely to be unemployed
In Trinidad and Tobago, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
make 65.2% less money
Trinidad and Tobago has a GDP per capita of $18,967 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
Life
have 75.3% more children
In Trinidad and Tobago, there are approximately 10.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Africa, there are 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 2.2 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Trinidad and Tobago, approximately 54.0 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 42.4% more likely to die during infancy
In Trinidad and Tobago, approximately 17.0 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 11.1% less likely to have access to electricity
In Trinidad and Tobago, approximately 99% of people have electricity access (99% in urban areas, and 98% 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 86.4% more on education
Trinidad and Tobago spends 3.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. South Africa spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 18.3% more on healthcare
Trinidad and Tobago spends 7.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 8.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 7.7 times more coastline
Trinidad and Tobago has a total of 362 km of coastline. In South Africa, that number is 2,798 km.
Safety
be 4.9 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Trinidad and Tobago, road accidents kill 5.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 80.2% less home broadband
Trinidad and Tobago has 27.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
live with 3.3 times more strain on fresh water
Trinidad and Tobago withdraws 20% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
use 51.3% less electricity
Trinidad and Tobago uses 6,664 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Africa uses 3,247 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 64.9% less CO2
Trinidad and Tobago emits 19.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. South Africa emits 6.9 tonnes as of 2024.
be 2.4 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Trinidad and Tobago, air pollution causes 20.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Trinidad and Tobago vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Trinidad and Tobago? See an in-depth size comparison.