Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of United Kingdom, you would:
Health
be 86.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In United Kingdom, 0.2% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 17.2% of people as of 2024.
live 15.1 years less
In United Kingdom, the average life expectancy is 81 years (80 years for men, 83 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 16.1% more likely to be obese
In United Kingdom, 27.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
see 79.5% less spent on your healthcare
United Kingdom spends $6,606 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
have 75.9% fewer doctors per person
United Kingdom has 33.0 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
have 19.3% less access to essential health services
United Kingdom scores 88 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Africa scores 71 as of 2021.
be 2.3 times more likely to die by suicide
United Kingdom has a suicide rate of 9.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 6.8 times more likely to be unemployed
In United Kingdom, 4.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
make 88.5% less money
United Kingdom has a GDP per capita of $57,602 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
Life
have 86.9% more children
In United Kingdom, there are approximately 9.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Africa, there are 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 14.8 times more likely to die during childbirth
In United Kingdom, approximately 8.0 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 5.9 times more likely to die during infancy
In United Kingdom, approximately 4.1 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 United Kingdom, 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 17.9% less likely to have internet access
In United Kingdom, approximately 95.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Africa, about 78.4% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 19.9% less on healthcare
United Kingdom spends 11.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 8.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 77.5% less coastline
United Kingdom has a total of 12,429 km of coastline. In South Africa, that number is 2,798 km.
Safety
be 39.0 times more likely to be murdered
United Kingdom has a homicide rate of 1.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, that number is 43.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 10.2 times more likely to die in a road accident
In United Kingdom, road accidents kill 2.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 87.3% less home broadband
United Kingdom has 42.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
live with 4.7 times more strain on fresh water
United Kingdom withdraws 14% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
use 22.6% less electricity
United Kingdom uses 4,195 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. South Africa uses 3,247 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 3.6 times more likely to die from air pollution
In United Kingdom, air pollution causes 13.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
emit 63.0% more CO2
United Kingdom emits 4.2 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), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: United Kingdom vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to United Kingdom? See an in-depth size comparison.