China’s coastline is 5.2 times as long as South Africa’s

China: 14,500 km (2026 edition) · South Africa: 2,798 km (2026 edition)

China’s highest peak towers 5,399 m above South Africa’s

China: 8,849 m (2026 edition) · South Africa: 3,450 m (2026 edition)

Farmland covers 79% of South Africa, versus 42% of China

China: 41.7% (2024) · South Africa: 79.4% (2024)

China has 22 times as many people as South Africa

China: 1.41 billion (2025) · South Africa: 64.7 million (2025)

China is 2.8 times as densely populated as South Africa

China: 150 per km² (2025) · South Africa: 53 per km² (2025)

The typical person in China is 11 years older than in South Africa

China: 39.1 years (2023) · South Africa: 28.2 years (2023)

Women in South Africa have 1.2 more children on average than in China

China: 1.01 children per woman (2024) · South Africa: 2.21 children per woman (2024)

15% of people in China are 65 or older, versus 6.9% in South Africa

China: 14.9% (2025) · South Africa: 6.9% (2025)

South Africa hosts 5,212 times as many refugees per resident as China

China: 0.00016 per 1,000 (2025) · South Africa: 0.9 per 1,000 (2025)

South Africa has produced 1.5 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, China 0.1

China: 0.1 (2026) · South Africa: 1.5 (2026)

South Africa has 11 official languages, China 1

China: 1 (2026) · South Africa: 11 (2026)

China’s economy is 46 times the size of South Africa’s

China: $19.5 trillion (2025) · South Africa: $427 billion (2025)

China produces 84% more per person than South Africa

China: Int$29,333 (2025) · South Africa: Int$15,906 (2025)

Income is more unequally shared in South Africa than in China (Gini 18.1 points higher)

China: 36 (2022) · South Africa: 54.1 (2022)

17% of people in South Africa live on less than $3 a day, versus 0% in China

China: 0% (2022) · South Africa: 17.4% (2022)

Unemployment is 32% in South Africa, versus 4.6% in China

China: 4.6% (2025) · South Africa: 32.4% (2025)

China spends 1.7% of its GDP on the military, South Africa 0.7%

China: 1.7% (2025) · South Africa: 0.7% (2025)

South Africa’s central government collects 26% of GDP in tax, China’s 7.0%

China: 7% (2024) · South Africa: 25.9% (2024)

China’s price level (US = 100) is 1.1× South Africa’s

China: 47% (2025) · South Africa: 41% (2025)

China spends 42% more on health per person than South Africa

China: $763 (2023) · South Africa: $537 (2023)

A baby in South Africa is 5.9 times as likely to die before turning one as in China

China: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024) · South Africa: 24.2 per 1,000 (2024)

China has 3.9 times as many doctors per person as South Africa

China: 3.1 per 1,000 (2022) · South Africa: 0.8 per 1,000 (2022)

China: 5.6 per 1,000 (2023) · South Africa: no data

The suicide rate in South Africa is 2 times that in China

China: 8 per 100k (2023) · South Africa: 16.2 per 100k (2023)

31% of adults in South Africa are obese, versus 9.1% in China

China: 9.1% (2024) · South Africa: 31.3% (2024)

24% of adults in South Africa smoke, versus 23% in China

China: 22.8% (2024) · South Africa: 23.7% (2024)

People in China rate their lives 1.06 points higher than in South Africa

China: 6.07 (2025) · South Africa: 5.01 (2025)

Adults in South Africa drink 2.3 times as much alcohol as in China

China: 3.7 litres (2023) · South Africa: 8.6 litres (2023)

China has 26% more meat per person than South Africa

China: 73.5 kg (2023) · South Africa: 58.3 kg (2023)

China has 833 kcal more food per person per day than South Africa

China: 3,527 kcal (2023) · South Africa: 2,694 kcal (2023)

Workers in China put in 146 more hours a year than in South Africa

China: 2,328 hours (2023) · South Africa: 2,181 hours (2023)

Adults in South Africa went to school 3.6 years longer than in China

China: 8 years (2023) · South Africa: 11.6 years (2023)

South Africa welcomed 3 times as many tourists per resident as China (2019)

China: 0.05 (2019) · South Africa: 0.14 (2024)

China has 49 more World Heritage sites than South Africa (61 against 12)

China: 61 (2026) · South Africa: 12 (2026)

China has won 819 Olympic medals, South Africa 95

China: 819 (2026 edition) · South Africa: 95 (2026 edition)

92% of people in China are online, versus 78% in South Africa

China: 92% (2025) · South Africa: 78% (2024)

Home internet in China is 4.6 times as fast as in South Africa

China: 364 Mbps (2026) · South Africa: 78 Mbps (2026)

100% of people in China have electricity, versus 90% in South Africa

China: 100% (2024) · South Africa: 90.2% (2024)

66% of people in China live in cities, versus 64% in South Africa

China: 66% (2025) · South Africa: 64% (2025)

South Africa has 179 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, China 132

China: 132 (2024) · South Africa: 179 (2024)

China’s railway network is 5.2 times as long as South Africa’s

China: 109,767 km (2021) · South Africa: 20,953 km (2021)

Airlines from China fly 84% more passengers per resident than those from South Africa

China: 0.44 (2023) · South Africa: 0.24 (2023)

Forest covers 24% of China, but only 19% of South Africa

China: 24% (2024) · South Africa: 18.8% (2024)

The average person in China emits 26% more CO₂ than someone in South Africa

China: 8.7 t (2024) · South Africa: 6.9 t (2024)

37% of China’s electricity is renewable, versus 14% in South Africa

China: 37% (2025) · South Africa: 13.6% (2025)

The air in China carries 28% more fine dust than in South Africa

China: 31.3 µg/m³ (2024) · South Africa: 24.4 µg/m³ (2024)

You are 87 times as likely to be murdered in South Africa as in China

China: 0.5 per 100k (2020) · South Africa: 43.7 per 100k (2022)

Roads in South Africa are 34% deadlier than in China

China: 24.7 per 100k (2023) · South Africa: 33.1 per 100k (2023)

South Africa is on average 10.6 °C warmer than China

China: 7.8°C (2016–2025 avg) · South Africa: 18.4°C (2016–2025 avg)

China gets 59% more rain than South Africa

China: 813 mm (2016–2025 avg) · South Africa: 511 mm (2016–2025 avg)