Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
South Africa fits inside Canada 13 times.
Canada: 15,634,400 km² (2023) · South Africa: 1,219,090 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Canada’s coastline is 72 times as long as South Africa’s.
Canada: 202,080 km (2026 edition) · South Africa: 2,798 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Canada’s highest peak towers 2,509 m above South Africa’s.
Canada: 5,959 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 55% more people than Canada.
Canada: 41.7 million (2025) · South Africa: 64.7 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
South Africa is 11 times as densely populated as Canada.
Canada: 5 per km² (2025) · South Africa: 53 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Canada are 9.1 cm taller than in South Africa.
Canada: 178.8 cm (2019) · South Africa: 169.6 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Canada are 6.1 cm taller than in South Africa.
Canada: 164.7 cm (2019) · South Africa: 158.6 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Canada is 12 years older than in South Africa.
Canada: 40.3 years (2023) · South Africa: 28.2 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in South Africa have 1.0 more children on average than in Canada.
Canada: 1.25 children per woman (2024) · South Africa: 2.21 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
20% of people in Canada are 65 or older, versus 6.9% in South Africa.
Canada: 20.3% (2025) · South Africa: 6.9% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Canada has produced 5.3 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, South Africa 1.4.
Canada: 5.3 (2025) · South Africa: 1.4 (2025)
How many official languages?
South Africa has 11 official languages, Canada 2.
Canada: 2 (2026) · South Africa: 11 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Canada’s economy is 5.4 times the size of South Africa’s.
Canada: $2.32 trillion (2025) · South Africa: $427 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Canada produces 4.2 times as much per person as South Africa.
Canada: Int$66,746 (2025) · South Africa: Int$15,906 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in South Africa than in Canada (Gini 22.6 points higher).
Canada: 31.5 (2022) · South Africa: 54.1 (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 32% in South Africa, versus 6.9% in Canada.
Canada: 6.9% (2025) · South Africa: 32.4% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Canada spends 1.3% of its GDP on the military, South Africa 0.7%.
Canada: 1.3% (2024) · South Africa: 0.7% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Canada’s price level (US = 100) is 2× South Africa’s.
Canada: 83% (2025) · South Africa: 41% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Canada spends 12 times as much on health per person as South Africa.
Canada: $6,378 (2024) · South Africa: $537 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Canada live 16 years longer than in South Africa.
Canada: 82.1 years (2024) · South Africa: 66.3 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in South Africa is 5.1 times as likely to die before turning one as in Canada.
Canada: 4.7 per 1,000 (2024) · South Africa: 24.2 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Canada has 3.6 times as many doctors per person as South Africa.
Canada: 2.8 per 1,000 (2023) · South Africa: 0.8 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
31% of adults in South Africa are obese, versus 27% in Canada.
Canada: 27.1% (2024) · South Africa: 31.3% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
24% of adults in South Africa smoke, versus 11% in Canada.
Canada: 11.2% (2024) · South Africa: 23.7% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Canada rate their lives 1.73 points higher than in South Africa.
Canada: 6.74 (2025) · South Africa: 5.01 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Canada drink 7% more alcohol than in South Africa.
Canada: 9.2 litres (2023) · South Africa: 8.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Canada has 63% more meat per person than South Africa.
Canada: 94.8 kg (2023) · South Africa: 58.3 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Canada has 896 kcal more food per person per day than South Africa.
Canada: 3,590 kcal (2023) · South Africa: 2,694 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in South Africa put in 450 more hours a year than in Canada.
Canada: 1,731 hours (2023) · South Africa: 2,181 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Canada went to school 2.3 years longer than in South Africa.
Canada: 13.9 years (2023) · South Africa: 11.6 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Canada welcomed 3.5 times as many tourists per resident as South Africa (2019).
Canada: 0.48 (2024) · South Africa: 0.14 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
94% of people in Canada are online, versus 78% in South Africa.
Canada: 94% (2024) · South Africa: 78% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in Canada have electricity, versus 90% in South Africa.
Canada: 100% (2024) · South Africa: 90.2% (2024)
How many live in cities?
83% of people in Canada live in cities, versus 64% in South Africa.
Canada: 83% (2025) · South Africa: 64% (2025)
How many phones per person?
South Africa has 179 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Canada 94.
Canada: 94 (2024) · South Africa: 179 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Canada’s railway network is 2.3 times as long as South Africa’s.
Canada: 48,150 km (2021) · South Africa: 20,953 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Canada fly 8.9 times as many passengers per resident as those from South Africa.
Canada: 2.13 (2023) · South Africa: 0.24 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 39% of Canada, but only 14% of South Africa.
Canada: 39.5% (2023) · South Africa: 14% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Canada emits 2 times as much CO₂ as someone in South Africa.
Canada: 13.4 t (2024) · South Africa: 6.9 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
64% of Canada’s electricity is renewable, versus 14% in South Africa.
Canada: 63.9% (2025) · South Africa: 13.6% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in South Africa carries 3.5 times as much fine dust as in Canada.
Canada: 7 µg/m³ (2024) · South Africa: 24.4 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 22 times as likely to be murdered in South Africa as in Canada.
Canada: 2 per 100k (2023) · South Africa: 43.7 per 100k (2022)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in South Africa are 5.2 times as deadly as in Canada.
Canada: 4.7 per 100k (2021) · South Africa: 24.5 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
South Africa is on average 21.4 °C warmer than Canada.
Canada: -3°C (2016–2025 avg) · South Africa: 18.4°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Canada gets 34% more rain than South Africa.
Canada: 683 mm (2016–2025 avg) · South Africa: 511 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Canada bigger than South Africa?
Canada is larger. South Africa fits inside Canada 13 times.
Which has more people, Canada or South Africa?
South Africa has 55% more people than Canada (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Canada or South Africa?
People in Canada live 16 years longer than in South Africa. Life expectancy at birth is 82.1 years in Canada and 66.3 in South Africa.
Are people taller in Canada or South Africa?
Men in Canada are 9.1 cm taller than in South Africa (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
