Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Ukraine, you would:
Health
live 8.4 years less
In Ukraine, the average life expectancy is 75 years (70 years for men, 79 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 39.3% more likely to be obese
In Ukraine, 22.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
have 77.5% fewer doctors per person
Ukraine has 35.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
Economy
make 12.5% more money
Ukraine has a GDP per capita of $5,866 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
be 63.4% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Ukraine, 23.2% live below the poverty line as of 2020. In South Africa, however, that number is 37.9% as of 2022.
Life
have 3.4 times more children
In Ukraine, there are approximately 5.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Africa, there are 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 7.9 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Ukraine, approximately 15.0 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 3.2 times more likely to die during infancy
In Ukraine, approximately 7.6 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 Ukraine, 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 17.1% more on education
Ukraine spends 5.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. South Africa spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
Safety
be 11.6 times more likely to be murdered
Ukraine has a homicide rate of 3.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, that number is 43.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 2.3 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Ukraine, road accidents kill 10.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
use 29.0% more electricity
Ukraine uses 2,516 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Africa uses 3,247 kWh as of 2023.
find 75.3% less home broadband
Ukraine has 21.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
live with 10.7 times more strain on fresh water
Ukraine withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
Environment
be 28.8% less likely to die from air pollution
In Ukraine, air pollution causes 66.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
emit 2.2 times more CO2
Ukraine emits 3.1 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: Ukraine vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Ukraine? See an in-depth size comparison.