Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Venezuela, you would:
Health
see 7.3 times more spent on your healthcare
Venezuela spends $186 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
be 28.7 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Venezuela, 0.6% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 17.2% of people as of 2024.
live 6.4 years less
In Venezuela, the average life expectancy is 73 years (69 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.
be 38.2% more likely to be obese
In Venezuela, 23.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
be 2.6 times more likely to die by suicide
Venezuela has a suicide rate of 8.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 88.8% more money
Venezuela has a GDP per capita of $3,495 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
be 6.1 times more likely to be unemployed
In Venezuela, 5.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
Life
be 48.0% less likely to die during childbirth
In Venezuela, approximately 227.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In South Africa, 118.0 women do as of 2023.
have 21.3% more children
In Venezuela, there are approximately 15.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Africa, there are 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 14.2% more likely to die during infancy
In Venezuela, approximately 21.2 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 Venezuela, 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 2.4 times more on healthcare
Venezuela spends 3.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 8.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 3.5 times more likely to be murdered
Venezuela has a homicide rate of 12.7 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In South Africa, that number is 43.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 85.6% more likely to die in a road accident
In Venezuela, road accidents kill 13.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
use 66.3% more electricity
Venezuela uses 1,953 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Africa uses 3,247 kWh as of 2023.
find 58.7% less home broadband
Venezuela has 12.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
live with 9.0 times more strain on fresh water
Venezuela withdraws 8% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
Environment
be 46.9% more likely to die from air pollution
In Venezuela, air pollution causes 32.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
emit 2.0 times more CO2
Venezuela emits 3.4 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: Venezuela vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Venezuela? See an in-depth size comparison.