Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Germany fits inside South Africa 3.4 times.
Germany: 357,680 km² (2023) · South Africa: 1,219,090 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
South Africa’s coastline is 17% longer than Germany’s.
Germany: 2,389 km (2026 edition) · South Africa: 2,798 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
South Africa’s highest peak towers 487 m above Germany’s.
Germany: 2,963 m (2026 edition) · South Africa: 3,450 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Germany has 29% more people than South Africa.
Germany: 83.5 million (2025) · South Africa: 64.7 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Germany is 4.5 times as densely populated as South Africa.
Germany: 239 per km² (2025) · South Africa: 53 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Germany are 10.7 cm taller than in South Africa.
Germany: 180.3 cm (2019) · South Africa: 169.6 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Germany are 7.6 cm taller than in South Africa.
Germany: 166.2 cm (2019) · South Africa: 158.6 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Germany is 17 years older than in South Africa.
Germany: 45.1 years (2023) · South Africa: 28.2 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in South Africa have 0.8 more children on average than in Germany.
Germany: 1.36 children per woman (2024) · South Africa: 2.21 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
24% of people in Germany are 65 or older, versus 6.9% in South Africa.
Germany: 23.7% (2025) · South Africa: 6.9% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Germany has produced 10.1 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, South Africa 1.4.
Germany: 10.1 (2025) · South Africa: 1.4 (2025)
How many official languages?
South Africa has 11 official languages, Germany 1.
Germany: 1 (2026) · South Africa: 11 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Germany’s economy is 12 times the size of South Africa’s.
Germany: $5.05 trillion (2025) · South Africa: $427 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Germany produces 4.7 times as much per person as South Africa.
Germany: Int$75,407 (2025) · South Africa: Int$15,906 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in South Africa than in Germany (Gini 20.4 points higher).
Germany: 33.7 (2022) · South Africa: 54.1 (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 32% in South Africa, versus 3.7% in Germany.
Germany: 3.7% (2025) · South Africa: 32.4% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Germany spends 1.9% of its GDP on the military, South Africa 0.7%.
Germany: 1.9% (2024) · South Africa: 0.7% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Germany’s price level (US = 100) is 1.9× South Africa’s.
Germany: 80% (2025) · South Africa: 41% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Germany spends 13 times as much on health per person as South Africa.
Germany: $6,849 (2024) · South Africa: $537 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Germany live 14 years longer than in South Africa.
Germany: 80.8 years (2024) · South Africa: 66.3 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in South Africa is 7.8 times as likely to die before turning one as in Germany.
Germany: 3.1 per 1,000 (2024) · South Africa: 24.2 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Germany has 5.7 times as many doctors per person as South Africa.
Germany: 4.5 per 1,000 (2022) · South Africa: 0.8 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
31% of adults in South Africa are obese, versus 24% in Germany.
Germany: 24.5% (2024) · South Africa: 31.3% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
24% of adults in South Africa smoke, versus 22% in Germany.
Germany: 22% (2024) · South Africa: 23.7% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Germany rate their lives 1.87 points higher than in South Africa.
Germany: 6.88 (2025) · South Africa: 5.01 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Germany drink 27% more alcohol than in South Africa.
Germany: 10.9 litres (2023) · South Africa: 8.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Germany has 21% more meat per person than South Africa.
Germany: 70.7 kg (2023) · South Africa: 58.3 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Germany has 841 kcal more food per person per day than South Africa.
Germany: 3,535 kcal (2023) · South Africa: 2,694 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in South Africa put in 846 more hours a year than in Germany.
Germany: 1,335 hours (2023) · South Africa: 2,181 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Germany went to school 2.7 years longer than in South Africa.
Germany: 14.3 years (2023) · South Africa: 11.6 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Germany welcomed 3.2 times as many tourists per resident as South Africa (2019).
Germany: 0.45 (2024) · South Africa: 0.14 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
94% of people in Germany are online, versus 78% in South Africa.
Germany: 94% (2024) · South Africa: 78% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in Germany have electricity, versus 90% in South Africa.
Germany: 100% (2024) · South Africa: 90.2% (2024)
How many live in cities?
82% of people in Germany live in cities, versus 64% in South Africa.
Germany: 82% (2025) · South Africa: 64% (2025)
How many phones per person?
South Africa has 179 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Germany 129.
Germany: 129 (2024) · South Africa: 179 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Germany’s railway network is 59% longer than South Africa’s.
Germany: 33,401 km (2021) · South Africa: 20,953 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Germany fly 4 times as many passengers per resident as those from South Africa.
Germany: 0.96 (2023) · South Africa: 0.24 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 33% of Germany, but only 14% of South Africa.
Germany: 32.7% (2023) · South Africa: 14% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in South Africa emits 2% more CO₂ than someone in Germany.
Germany: 6.8 t (2024) · South Africa: 6.9 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
59% of Germany’s electricity is renewable, versus 14% in South Africa.
Germany: 59.1% (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 Germany.
Germany: 9.1 µg/m³ (2024) · South Africa: 24.4 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 48 times as likely to be murdered in South Africa as in Germany.
Germany: 0.9 per 100k (2023) · South Africa: 43.7 per 100k (2022)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in South Africa are 7.4 times as deadly as in Germany.
Germany: 3.3 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 8.2 °C warmer than Germany.
Germany: 10.3°C (2016–2025 avg) · South Africa: 18.4°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Germany gets 70% more rain than South Africa.
Germany: 871 mm (2016–2025 avg) · South Africa: 511 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Germany bigger than South Africa?
South Africa is larger. Germany fits inside South Africa 3.4 times.
Which has more people, Germany or South Africa?
Germany has 29% more people than South Africa (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Germany or South Africa?
People in Germany live 14 years longer than in South Africa. Life expectancy at birth is 80.8 years in Germany and 66.3 in South Africa.
Are people taller in Germany or South Africa?
Men in Germany are 10.7 cm taller than in South Africa (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
Keep duelling
Germany vs Austria 
Germany vs Belgium 
Germany vs Czechia 
Germany vs Denmark 
Germany vs France 
Germany vs Luxembourg 
South Africa vs Botswana 
South Africa vs Lesotho 
South Africa vs Mozambique 
South Africa vs Namibia 
South Africa vs Eswatini 
South Africa vs Zimbabwe 
Germany vs the world → South Africa vs the world →