Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Denmark fits inside South Africa 28 times.
Denmark: 42,920 km² (2023) · South Africa: 1,219,090 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Denmark’s coastline is 2.6 times as long as South Africa’s.
Denmark: 7,314 km (2026 edition) · South Africa: 2,798 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
South Africa’s highest peak towers 3,279 m above Denmark’s.
Denmark: 171 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 11 times as many people as Denmark.
Denmark: 6.01 million (2025) · South Africa: 64.7 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Denmark is 2.8 times as densely populated as South Africa.
Denmark: 150 per km² (2025) · South Africa: 53 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Denmark are 12.3 cm taller than in South Africa.
Denmark: 181.9 cm (2019) · South Africa: 169.6 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Denmark are 10.9 cm taller than in South Africa.
Denmark: 169.5 cm (2019) · South Africa: 158.6 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Denmark is 13 years older than in South Africa.
Denmark: 41.2 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 Denmark.
Denmark: 1.47 children per woman (2024) · South Africa: 2.21 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
21% of people in Denmark are 65 or older, versus 6.9% in South Africa.
Denmark: 21.1% (2025) · South Africa: 6.9% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Denmark has produced 20.0 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, South Africa 1.4.
Denmark: 20 (2025) · South Africa: 1.4 (2025)
How many official languages?
South Africa has 11 official languages, Denmark 1.
Denmark: 1 (2026) · South Africa: 11 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Denmark’s economy is 8% larger than South Africa’s.
Denmark: $463 billion (2025) · South Africa: $427 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Denmark produces 5.2 times as much per person as South Africa.
Denmark: Int$83,218 (2025) · South Africa: Int$15,906 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in South Africa than in Denmark (Gini 24.2 points higher).
Denmark: 29.9 (2023) · South Africa: 54.1 (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 32% in South Africa, versus 5.5% in Denmark.
Denmark: 5.5% (2025) · South Africa: 32.4% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Denmark spends 2.4% of its GDP on the military, South Africa 0.7%.
Denmark: 2.4% (2024) · South Africa: 0.7% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Denmark’s price level (US = 100) is 2.2× South Africa’s.
Denmark: 92% (2025) · South Africa: 41% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Denmark spends 13 times as much on health per person as South Africa.
Denmark: $6,745 (2024) · South Africa: $537 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Denmark live 16 years longer than in South Africa.
Denmark: 82.3 years (2024) · South Africa: 66.3 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in South Africa is 6.9 times as likely to die before turning one as in Denmark.
Denmark: 3.5 per 1,000 (2024) · South Africa: 24.2 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Denmark has 5.7 times as many doctors per person as South Africa.
Denmark: 4.5 per 1,000 (2021) · South Africa: 0.8 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
31% of adults in South Africa are obese, versus 15% in Denmark.
Denmark: 15.2% (2024) · South Africa: 31.3% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
24% of adults in South Africa smoke, versus 16% in Denmark.
Denmark: 15.7% (2024) · South Africa: 23.7% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Denmark rate their lives 2.53 points higher than in South Africa.
Denmark: 7.54 (2025) · South Africa: 5.01 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Denmark drink 10% more alcohol than in South Africa.
Denmark: 9.5 litres (2023) · South Africa: 8.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Denmark has 74% more meat per person than South Africa.
Denmark: 101.3 kg (2023) · South Africa: 58.3 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Denmark has 1,040 kcal more food per person per day than South Africa.
Denmark: 3,734 kcal (2023) · South Africa: 2,694 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in South Africa put in 801 more hours a year than in Denmark.
Denmark: 1,380 hours (2023) · South Africa: 2,181 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Denmark went to school 1.4 years longer than in South Africa.
Denmark: 13 years (2023) · South Africa: 11.6 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Denmark welcomed 17 times as many tourists per resident as South Africa (2019).
Denmark: 2.4 (2022) · South Africa: 0.14 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
100% of people in Denmark are online, versus 78% in South Africa.
Denmark: 100% (2024) · South Africa: 78% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in Denmark have electricity, versus 90% in South Africa.
Denmark: 100% (2024) · South Africa: 90.2% (2024)
How many live in cities?
89% of people in Denmark live in cities, versus 64% in South Africa.
Denmark: 89% (2025) · South Africa: 64% (2025)
How many phones per person?
South Africa has 179 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Denmark 127.
Denmark: 127 (2024) · South Africa: 179 (2024)
How much railway is there?
South Africa’s railway network is 7.8 times as long as Denmark’s.
Denmark: 2,682 km (2020) · South Africa: 20,953 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Denmark: no data · South Africa: 0.24 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 16% of Denmark, but only 14% of South Africa.
Denmark: 15.8% (2023) · South Africa: 14% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in South Africa emits 45% more CO₂ than someone in Denmark.
Denmark: 4.7 t (2024) · South Africa: 6.9 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
91% of Denmark’s electricity is renewable, versus 14% in South Africa.
Denmark: 91.2% (2025) · South Africa: 13.6% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in South Africa carries 2.7 times as much fine dust as in Denmark.
Denmark: 9 µg/m³ (2024) · South Africa: 24.4 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 52 times as likely to be murdered in South Africa as in Denmark.
Denmark: 0.8 per 100k (2023) · South Africa: 43.7 per 100k (2022)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in South Africa are 11 times as deadly as in Denmark.
Denmark: 2.3 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 8.9 °C warmer than Denmark.
Denmark: 9.6°C (2016–2025 avg) · South Africa: 18.4°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Denmark gets 65% more rain than South Africa.
Denmark: 845 mm (2016–2025 avg) · South Africa: 511 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Denmark bigger than South Africa?
South Africa is larger. Denmark fits inside South Africa 28 times.
Which has more people, Denmark or South Africa?
South Africa has 11 times as many people as Denmark (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Denmark or South Africa?
People in Denmark live 16 years longer than in South Africa. Life expectancy at birth is 82.3 years in Denmark and 66.3 in South Africa.
Are people taller in Denmark or South Africa?
Men in Denmark are 12.3 cm taller than in South Africa (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
