Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Finland fits inside South Africa 3.6 times.
Finland: 338,480 km² (2023) · South Africa: 1,219,090 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
South Africa’s coastline is 2.2 times as long as Finland’s.
Finland: 1,250 km (2026 edition) · South Africa: 2,798 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
South Africa’s highest peak towers 2,122 m above Finland’s.
Finland: 1,328 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 Finland.
Finland: 5.65 million (2025) · South Africa: 64.7 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
South Africa is 2.9 times as densely populated as Finland.
Finland: 19 per km² (2025) · South Africa: 53 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Finland are 10.9 cm taller than in South Africa.
Finland: 180.6 cm (2019) · South Africa: 169.6 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Finland are 7.9 cm taller than in South Africa.
Finland: 166.5 cm (2019) · South Africa: 158.6 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Finland is 15 years older than in South Africa.
Finland: 42.8 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 Finland.
Finland: 1.25 children per woman (2024) · South Africa: 2.21 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
24% of people in Finland are 65 or older, versus 6.9% in South Africa.
Finland: 24.2% (2025) · South Africa: 6.9% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Finland has produced 8.9 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, South Africa 1.4.
Finland: 8.9 (2025) · South Africa: 1.4 (2025)
How many official languages?
South Africa has 11 official languages, Finland 2.
Finland: 2 (2026) · South Africa: 11 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
South Africa’s economy is 35% larger than Finland’s.
Finland: $317 billion (2025) · South Africa: $427 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Finland produces 4.1 times as much per person as South Africa.
Finland: Int$65,885 (2025) · South Africa: Int$15,906 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in South Africa than in Finland (Gini 26.7 points higher).
Finland: 27.4 (2023) · South Africa: 54.1 (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 32% in South Africa, versus 9.5% in Finland.
Finland: 9.5% (2025) · South Africa: 32.4% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Finland spends 2.3% of its GDP on the military, South Africa 0.7%.
Finland: 2.3% (2024) · South Africa: 0.7% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Finland’s price level (US = 100) is 2.1× South Africa’s.
Finland: 85% (2025) · South Africa: 41% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Finland spends 10 times as much on health per person as South Africa.
Finland: $5,515 (2023) · South Africa: $537 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Finland live 16 years longer than in South Africa.
Finland: 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 13 times as likely to die before turning one as in Finland.
Finland: 1.9 per 1,000 (2024) · South Africa: 24.2 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Finland has 4.5 times as many doctors per person as South Africa.
Finland: 3.6 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 26% in Finland.
Finland: 26.2% (2024) · South Africa: 31.3% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
24% of adults in South Africa smoke, versus 21% in Finland.
Finland: 21.4% (2024) · South Africa: 23.7% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Finland rate their lives 2.75 points higher than in South Africa.
Finland: 7.76 (2025) · South Africa: 5.01 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Finland drink 9% more alcohol than in South Africa.
Finland: 9.4 litres (2023) · South Africa: 8.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Finland has 19% more meat per person than South Africa.
Finland: 69.4 kg (2023) · South Africa: 58.3 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Finland has 652 kcal more food per person per day than South Africa.
Finland: 3,346 kcal (2023) · South Africa: 2,694 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in South Africa put in 685 more hours a year than in Finland.
Finland: 1,497 hours (2023) · South Africa: 2,181 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Finland went to school 1.4 years longer than in South Africa.
Finland: 13 years (2023) · South Africa: 11.6 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Finland welcomed 5.7 times as many tourists per resident as South Africa (2019).
Finland: 0.8 (2024) · South Africa: 0.14 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
94% of people in Finland are online, versus 78% in South Africa.
Finland: 94% (2024) · South Africa: 78% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in Finland have electricity, versus 90% in South Africa.
Finland: 100% (2024) · South Africa: 90.2% (2024)
How many live in cities?
75% of people in Finland live in cities, versus 64% in South Africa.
Finland: 75% (2025) · South Africa: 64% (2025)
How many phones per person?
South Africa has 179 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Finland 126.
Finland: 126 (2024) · South Africa: 179 (2024)
How much railway is there?
South Africa’s railway network is 3.5 times as long as Finland’s.
Finland: 5,918 km (2021) · South Africa: 20,953 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Finland fly 8 times as many passengers per resident as those from South Africa.
Finland: 1.91 (2023) · South Africa: 0.24 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 74% of Finland, but only 14% of South Africa.
Finland: 73.7% (2023) · South Africa: 14% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in South Africa emits 30% more CO₂ than someone in Finland.
Finland: 5.3 t (2024) · South Africa: 6.9 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
56% of Finland’s electricity is renewable, versus 14% in South Africa.
Finland: 56.5% (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 Finland.
Finland: 5.4 µg/m³ (2024) · South Africa: 24.4 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 45 times as likely to be murdered in South Africa as in Finland.
Finland: 1 per 100k (2023) · South Africa: 43.7 per 100k (2022)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in South Africa are 5.8 times as deadly as in Finland.
Finland: 4.2 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 14.8 °C warmer than Finland.
Finland: 3.6°C (2016–2025 avg) · South Africa: 18.4°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Finland gets 48% more rain than South Africa.
Finland: 758 mm (2016–2025 avg) · South Africa: 511 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Finland bigger than South Africa?
South Africa is larger. Finland fits inside South Africa 3.6 times.
Which has more people, Finland or South Africa?
South Africa has 11 times as many people as Finland (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Finland or South Africa?
People in Finland live 16 years longer than in South Africa. Life expectancy at birth is 82.3 years in Finland and 66.3 in South Africa.
Are people taller in Finland or South Africa?
Men in Finland are 10.9 cm taller than in South Africa (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
