Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Uganda, you would:
Health
see 9.8 times more spent on your healthcare
Uganda spends $139 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
have 4.2 times more doctors per person
Uganda has 1.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
have 44.9% more access to essential health services
Uganda scores 49 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Africa scores 71 as of 2021.
be 3.5 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Uganda, 4.9% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 17.2% of people as of 2024.
live 2.2 years less
In Uganda, the average life expectancy is 68 years (65 years for men, 71 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 3.4 times more likely to be obese
In Uganda, 9.5% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
be 4.1 times more likely to die by suicide
Uganda has a suicide rate of 5.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 5.5 times more money
Uganda has a GDP per capita of $1,206 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
be 11.8 times more likely to be unemployed
In Uganda, 2.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
be 2.4 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Uganda, 16.1% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In South Africa, however, that number is 37.9% as of 2022.
Life
be 30.6% less likely to die during childbirth
In Uganda, approximately 170.0 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 18.3% more likely to be literate
In Uganda, the literacy rate is 77.0% as of 2024. In South Africa, it is 91.2% as of 2024.
be 32.6% less likely to die during infancy
In Uganda, approximately 35.9 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 46.3% fewer children
In Uganda, there are approximately 34.4 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 70.3% more likely to have access to electricity
In Uganda, approximately 52% of people have electricity access (76% in urban areas, and 42% 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 8.8 times more likely to have internet access
In Uganda, approximately 8.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Africa, about 78.4% do as of 2024.
be 43.1% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Uganda, approximately 63% of people have access to drinking water (80% in urban areas, and 57% 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 2.4 times more on education
Uganda spends 2.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. South Africa spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 2.1 times more on healthcare
Uganda spends 4.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 8.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 4.9 times more likely to be murdered
Uganda has a homicide rate of 9.0 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 43.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 53.1% more likely to die in a road accident
In Uganda, road accidents kill 16.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 25.5 times more home broadband
Uganda has 0.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
use 34.1 times more electricity
Uganda uses 95 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Africa uses 3,247 kWh as of 2023.
live with 11.6 times more strain on fresh water
Uganda withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
Environment
be 21.7% less likely to die from air pollution
In Uganda, air pollution causes 60.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
emit 40.5 times more CO2
Uganda emits 0.2 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 (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Uganda vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Uganda? See an in-depth size comparison.