Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Vietnam, you would:
Health
see 96.3% more spent on your healthcare
Vietnam spends $690 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
be 43.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Vietnam, 0.4% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 17.2% of people as of 2024.
live 8.4 years less
In Vietnam, 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 13.2 times more likely to be obese
In Vietnam, 2.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
have 28.3% fewer doctors per person
Vietnam has 11.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
be 3.1 times more likely to die by suicide
Vietnam has a suicide rate of 7.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 30.2% more money
Vietnam has a GDP per capita of $5,066 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
be 21.3 times more likely to be unemployed
In Vietnam, 1.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
be 9.0 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Vietnam, 4.2% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In South Africa, however, that number is 37.9% as of 2022.
Life
have 37.7% more children
In Vietnam, there are approximately 13.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Africa, there are 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 2.5 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Vietnam, approximately 48.0 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 2.0 times more likely to die during infancy
In Vietnam, approximately 12.0 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 12.1% less likely to have access to electricity
In Vietnam, 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 2.1 times more on education
Vietnam spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. South Africa spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 95.4% more on healthcare
Vietnam spends 4.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 8.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 18.8% less coastline
Vietnam has a total of 3,444 km of coastline. In South Africa, that number is 2,798 km.
Safety
be 38.4% more likely to die in a road accident
In Vietnam, road accidents kill 17.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
use 25.6% more electricity
Vietnam uses 2,585 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Africa uses 3,247 kWh as of 2023.
find 77.4% less home broadband
Vietnam has 23.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
live with 3.7 times more strain on fresh water
Vietnam withdraws 18% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 61.1% more CO2
Vietnam emits 4.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. South Africa emits 6.9 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Vietnam vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Vietnam? See an in-depth size comparison.