Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Zimbabwe, you would:
Health
live 2.0 years longer
In Zimbabwe, the average life expectancy is 63 years (61 years for men, 66 years for women) as of 2022. In South Africa, that number is 65 years (64 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2022.
be 60.5% more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Zimbabwe, 11.9% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In South Africa, that number is 19.1% of people as of 2020.
be 82.6% more likely to be obese
In Zimbabwe, 15.5% of adults are obese as of 2016. In South Africa, that number is 28.3% of people as of 2016.
Economy
make 4.3 times more money
Zimbabwe has a GDP per capita of $2,700 as of 2020, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $11,500 as of 2020.
be 56.7% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Zimbabwe, 38.3% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In South Africa, however, that number is 16.6% as of 2016.
pay a 10.0% lower top tax rate
Zimbabwe has a top tax rate of 50.0% as of 2016. In South Africa, the top tax rate is 45.0% as of 2017.
be 2.5 times more likely to be unemployed
In Zimbabwe, 11.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2014. In South Africa, that number is 28.5% as of 2019.
Life
be 74.0% less likely to die during childbirth
In Zimbabwe, approximately 458.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In South Africa, 119.0 women do as of 2017.
have 43.9% fewer children
In Zimbabwe, there are approximately 33.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In South Africa, there are 18.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022.
Basic Needs
be 77.4% more likely to have access to electricity
In Zimbabwe, approximately 53% of people have electricity access (89% in urban areas, and 36% in rural areas) as of 2019. In South Africa, that number is 94% of people on average (95% in urban areas, and 92% in rural areas) as of 2019.
be 2.4 times more likely to have internet access
In Zimbabwe, approximately 29.0% of the population has internet access as of 2020. In South Africa, about 70.0% do as of 2020.
be 25.7% more likely to have access to improved drinking water
In Zimbabwe, approximately 77% of people have improved drinking water access (98% in urban areas, and 67% in rural areas) as of 2020. In South Africa, that number is 97% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 90% in rural areas) as of 2020.
Expenditures
spend 88.9% more on education
Zimbabwe spends 3.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2018. South Africa spends 6.8% of total GDP on education as of 2020.
spend 18.2% more on healthcare
Zimbabwe spends 7.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In South Africa, that number is 9.1% of GDP as of 2019.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, South African Revenue Service, Zimbabwe Revenue Authority.
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Zimbabwe? See an in-depth size comparison.