Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
South Africa is 61% bigger than Chile.
Chile: 757,245 km² (2023) · South Africa: 1,219,090 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Chile’s coastline is 2.3 times as long as South Africa’s.
Chile: 6,435 km (2026 edition) · South Africa: 2,798 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Chile’s highest peak towers 3,443 m above South Africa’s.
Chile: 6,893 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 3.3 times as many people as Chile.
Chile: 19.9 million (2025) · South Africa: 64.7 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
South Africa is 2 times as densely populated as Chile.
Chile: 27 per km² (2025) · South Africa: 53 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Chile are 3.3 cm taller than in South Africa.
Chile: 172.9 cm (2019) · South Africa: 169.6 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Chile are 0.8 cm taller than in South Africa.
Chile: 159.4 cm (2019) · South Africa: 158.6 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Chile is 7.8 years older than in South Africa.
Chile: 36 years (2023) · South Africa: 28.2 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in South Africa have 1.1 more children on average than in Chile.
Chile: 1.14 children per woman (2024) · South Africa: 2.21 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
15% of people in Chile are 65 or older, versus 6.9% in South Africa.
Chile: 14.6% (2025) · South Africa: 6.9% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
South Africa has produced 1.4 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Chile 1.0.
Chile: 1 (2025) · South Africa: 1.4 (2025)
How many official languages?
South Africa has 11 official languages, Chile 1.
Chile: 1 (2026) · South Africa: 11 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
South Africa’s economy is 20% larger than Chile’s.
Chile: $357 billion (2025) · South Africa: $427 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Chile produces 2.4 times as much per person as South Africa.
Chile: Int$37,774 (2025) · South Africa: Int$15,906 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in South Africa than in Chile (Gini 11.1 points higher).
Chile: 43 (2024) · South Africa: 54.1 (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 32% in South Africa, versus 9.0% in Chile.
Chile: 9% (2025) · South Africa: 32.4% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Chile spends 1.6% of its GDP on the military, South Africa 0.7%.
Chile: 1.6% (2024) · South Africa: 0.7% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Chile’s price level (US = 100) is 1.1× South Africa’s.
Chile: 48% (2025) · South Africa: 41% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Chile spends 3.3 times as much on health per person as South Africa.
Chile: $1,760 (2024) · South Africa: $537 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Chile live 15 years longer than in South Africa.
Chile: 81.4 years (2024) · South Africa: 66.3 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in South Africa is 4.2 times as likely to die before turning one as in Chile.
Chile: 5.8 per 1,000 (2024) · South Africa: 24.2 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Chile has 4.2 times as many doctors per person as South Africa.
Chile: 3.3 per 1,000 (2023) · South Africa: 0.8 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
41% of adults in Chile are obese, versus 31% in South Africa.
Chile: 41.1% (2024) · South Africa: 31.3% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
27% of adults in Chile smoke, versus 24% in South Africa.
Chile: 26.7% (2024) · South Africa: 23.7% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Chile rate their lives 1.29 points higher than in South Africa.
Chile: 6.30 (2025) · South Africa: 5.01 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in South Africa drink 31% more alcohol than in Chile.
Chile: 6.6 litres (2023) · South Africa: 8.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Chile has 69% more meat per person than South Africa.
Chile: 98.5 kg (2023) · South Africa: 58.3 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Chile has 364 kcal more food per person per day than South Africa.
Chile: 3,057 kcal (2023) · South Africa: 2,694 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in South Africa put in 232 more hours a year than in Chile.
Chile: 1,950 hours (2023) · South Africa: 2,181 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in South Africa went to school 0.32 years longer than in Chile.
Chile: 11.3 years (2023) · South Africa: 11.6 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Chile welcomed 90% more tourists per resident than South Africa (2019).
Chile: 0.27 (2024) · South Africa: 0.14 (2024)
How many World Heritage sites?
South Africa has 5 more World Heritage sites than Chile (12 against 7).
Chile: 7 (2026) · South Africa: 12 (2026)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
96% of people in Chile are online, versus 78% in South Africa.
Chile: 96% (2024) · South Africa: 78% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
99% of people in Chile have electricity, versus 90% in South Africa.
Chile: 99% (2024) · South Africa: 90.2% (2024)
How many live in cities?
89% of people in Chile live in cities, versus 64% in South Africa.
Chile: 89% (2025) · South Africa: 64% (2025)
How many phones per person?
South Africa has 179 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Chile 133.
Chile: 133 (2024) · South Africa: 179 (2024)
How much railway is there?
South Africa’s railway network is 8.7 times as long as Chile’s.
Chile: 2,396 km (2021) · South Africa: 20,953 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Chile fly 4.5 times as many passengers per resident as those from South Africa.
Chile: 1.07 (2023) · South Africa: 0.24 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 25% of Chile, but only 14% of South Africa.
Chile: 25% (2023) · South Africa: 14% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in South Africa emits 73% more CO₂ than someone in Chile.
Chile: 4 t (2024) · South Africa: 6.9 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
66% of Chile’s electricity is renewable, versus 14% in South Africa.
Chile: 66.4% (2025) · South Africa: 13.6% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in South Africa carries 5% more fine dust than in Chile.
Chile: 23.2 µg/m³ (2024) · South Africa: 24.4 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 6.9 times as likely to be murdered in South Africa as in Chile.
Chile: 6.3 per 100k (2023) · South Africa: 43.7 per 100k (2022)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in South Africa are 2.4 times as deadly as in Chile.
Chile: 10.3 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 9.0 °C warmer than Chile.
Chile: 9.4°C (2016–2025 avg) · South Africa: 18.4°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Chile gets 2.8 times as much rain as South Africa.
Chile: 1,425 mm (2016–2025 avg) · South Africa: 511 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Chile bigger than South Africa?
South Africa is larger. South Africa is 61% bigger than Chile.
Which has more people, Chile or South Africa?
South Africa has 3.3 times as many people as Chile (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Chile or South Africa?
People in Chile live 15 years longer than in South Africa. Life expectancy at birth is 81.4 years in Chile and 66.3 in South Africa.
Are people taller in Chile or South Africa?
Men in Chile are 3.3 cm taller than in South Africa (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
