Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
South Africa fits inside Australia 6.3 times.
Australia: 7,741,220 km² (2023) · South Africa: 1,219,090 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Australia’s coastline is 9.2 times as long as South Africa’s.
Australia: 25,760 km (2026 edition) · South Africa: 2,798 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
South Africa’s highest peak towers 1,222 m above Australia’s.
Australia: 2,228 m (2026 edition) · South Africa: 3,450 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
South Africa has 2.3 times as many people as Australia.
Australia: 27.6 million (2025) · South Africa: 64.7 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
South Africa is 15 times as densely populated as Australia.
Australia: 4 per km² (2025) · South Africa: 53 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Australia are 9.1 cm taller than in South Africa.
Australia: 178.8 cm (2019) · South Africa: 169.6 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Australia are 6.1 cm taller than in South Africa.
Australia: 164.7 cm (2019) · South Africa: 158.6 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Australia is 9.5 years older than in South Africa.
Australia: 37.8 years (2023) · South Africa: 28.2 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in South Africa have 0.7 more children on average than in Australia.
Australia: 1.48 children per woman (2024) · South Africa: 2.21 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
18% of people in Australia are 65 or older, versus 6.9% in South Africa.
Australia: 18.1% (2025) · South Africa: 6.9% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Australia has produced 3.6 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, South Africa 1.4.
Australia: 3.6 (2025) · South Africa: 1.4 (2025)
How many official languages?
South Africa has 11 official languages, Australia 1.
Australia: 1 (2026) · South Africa: 11 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Australia’s economy is 4.2 times the size of South Africa’s.
Australia: $1.8 trillion (2025) · South Africa: $427 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Australia produces 4.5 times as much per person as South Africa.
Australia: Int$71,934 (2025) · South Africa: Int$15,906 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in South Africa than in Australia (Gini 20.3 points higher).
Australia: 33.8 (2020) · South Africa: 54.1 (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 32% in South Africa, versus 4.1% in Australia.
Australia: 4.1% (2025) · South Africa: 32.4% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Australia spends 1.9% of its GDP on the military, South Africa 0.7%.
Australia: 1.9% (2024) · South Africa: 0.7% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Australia’s price level (US = 100) is 2.2× South Africa’s.
Australia: 91% (2025) · South Africa: 41% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Australia spends 13 times as much on health per person as South Africa.
Australia: $6,980 (2023) · South Africa: $537 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Australia live 17 years longer than in South Africa.
Australia: 83.1 years (2024) · South Africa: 66.3 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in South Africa is 7.8 times as likely to die before turning one as in Australia.
Australia: 3.1 per 1,000 (2024) · South Africa: 24.2 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Australia has 5.1 times as many doctors per person as South Africa.
Australia: 4.1 per 1,000 (2022) · South Africa: 0.8 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
32% of adults in Australia are obese, versus 31% in South Africa.
Australia: 32.4% (2024) · South Africa: 31.3% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
24% of adults in South Africa smoke, versus 12% in Australia.
Australia: 11.6% (2024) · South Africa: 23.7% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Australia rate their lives 1.91 points higher than in South Africa.
Australia: 6.92 (2025) · South Africa: 5.01 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Australia drink 22% more alcohol than in South Africa.
Australia: 10.5 litres (2023) · South Africa: 8.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Australia has 2 times as much meat per person as South Africa.
Australia: 116.8 kg (2023) · South Africa: 58.3 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Australia has 868 kcal more food per person per day than South Africa.
Australia: 3,562 kcal (2023) · South Africa: 2,694 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in South Africa put in 570 more hours a year than in Australia.
Australia: 1,611 hours (2023) · South Africa: 2,181 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Australia went to school 1.3 years longer than in South Africa.
Australia: 12.9 years (2023) · South Africa: 11.6 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Australia: no data · South Africa: 0.14 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
96% of people in Australia are online, versus 78% in South Africa.
Australia: 96% (2024) · South Africa: 78% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in Australia have electricity, versus 90% in South Africa.
Australia: 100% (2024) · South Africa: 90.2% (2024)
How many live in cities?
88% of people in Australia live in cities, versus 64% in South Africa.
Australia: 88% (2025) · South Africa: 64% (2025)
How many phones per person?
South Africa has 179 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Australia 113.
Australia: 113 (2024) · South Africa: 179 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Australia’s railway network is 56% longer than South Africa’s.
Australia: 32,606 km (2022) · South Africa: 20,953 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Australia fly 10 times as many passengers per resident as those from South Africa.
Australia: 2.5 (2023) · South Africa: 0.24 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 17% of Australia, but only 14% of South Africa.
Australia: 17.4% (2023) · South Africa: 14% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Australia emits 2.1 times as much CO₂ as someone in South Africa.
Australia: 14.5 t (2024) · South Africa: 6.9 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
39% of Australia’s electricity is renewable, versus 14% in South Africa.
Australia: 38.6% (2025) · South Africa: 13.6% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in South Africa carries 4.5 times as much fine dust as in Australia.
Australia: 5.4 µg/m³ (2024) · South Africa: 24.4 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 51 times as likely to be murdered in South Africa as in Australia.
Australia: 0.9 per 100k (2023) · South Africa: 43.7 per 100k (2022)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in South Africa are 5.4 times as deadly as in Australia.
Australia: 4.5 per 100k (2021) · South Africa: 24.5 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Australia is on average 4.1 °C warmer than South Africa.
Australia: 22.5°C (2016–2025 avg) · South Africa: 18.4°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
South Africa gets 14% more rain than Australia.
Australia: 447 mm (2016–2025 avg) · South Africa: 511 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Australia bigger than South Africa?
Australia is larger. South Africa fits inside Australia 6.3 times.
Which has more people, Australia or South Africa?
South Africa has 2.3 times as many people as Australia (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Australia or South Africa?
People in Australia live 17 years longer than in South Africa. Life expectancy at birth is 83.1 years in Australia and 66.3 in South Africa.
Are people taller in Australia or South Africa?
Men in Australia are 9.1 cm taller than in South Africa (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
