South Africa’s coastline is 17% longer than Germany’s

Germany: 2,389 km (2026 edition) · South Africa: 2,798 km (2026 edition)

South Africa’s highest peak towers 487 m above Germany’s

Germany: 2,963 m (2026 edition) · South Africa: 3,450 m (2026 edition)

Farmland covers 79% of South Africa, versus 47% of Germany

Germany: 47.4% (2024) · South Africa: 79.4% (2024)

Germany has 29% more people than South Africa

Germany: 83.5 million (2025) · South Africa: 64.7 million (2025)

Germany is 4.5 times as densely populated as South Africa

Germany: 239 per km² (2025) · South Africa: 53 per km² (2025)

The typical person in Germany is 17 years older than in South Africa

Germany: 45.1 years (2023) · South Africa: 28.2 years (2023)

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)

24% of people in Germany are 65 or older, versus 6.9% in South Africa

Germany: 23.7% (2025) · South Africa: 6.9% (2025)

Germany hosts 37 times as many refugees per resident as South Africa

Germany: 31.8 per 1,000 (2025) · South Africa: 0.9 per 1,000 (2025)

Germany has produced 10.3 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, South Africa 1.5

Germany: 10.3 (2026) · South Africa: 1.5 (2026)

South Africa has 11 official languages, Germany 1

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

Germany’s economy is 12 times the size of South Africa’s

Germany: $5.05 trillion (2025) · South Africa: $427 billion (2025)

Germany produces 4.7 times as much per person as South Africa

Germany: Int$75,407 (2025) · South Africa: Int$15,906 (2025)

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)

17% of people in South Africa live on less than $3 a day, versus 0.7% in Germany

Germany: 0.7% (2022) · South Africa: 17.4% (2022)

Unemployment is 32% in South Africa, versus 3.7% in Germany

Germany: 3.7% (2025) · South Africa: 32.4% (2025)

Germany spends 2.3% of its GDP on the military, South Africa 0.7%

Germany: 2.3% (2025) · South Africa: 0.7% (2025)

South Africa’s central government collects 26% of GDP in tax, Germany’s 11%

Germany: 10.9% (2024) · South Africa: 25.9% (2024)

Germany’s price level (US = 100) is 1.9× South Africa’s

Germany: 80% (2025) · South Africa: 41% (2025)

Germany spends 13 times as much on health per person as South Africa

Germany: $6,849 (2024) · South Africa: $537 (2023)

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)

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)

Germany: 7.6 per 1,000 (2023) · South Africa: no data

The suicide rate in South Africa is 62% higher than in Germany

Germany: 10 per 100k (2023) · South Africa: 16.2 per 100k (2023)

31% of adults in South Africa are obese, versus 24% in Germany

Germany: 24.5% (2024) · South Africa: 31.3% (2024)

24% of adults in South Africa smoke, versus 22% in Germany

Germany: 22% (2024) · South Africa: 23.7% (2024)

People in Germany rate their lives 1.87 points higher than in South Africa

Germany: 6.88 (2025) · South Africa: 5.01 (2025)

Adults in Germany drink 27% more alcohol than in South Africa

Germany: 10.9 litres (2023) · South Africa: 8.6 litres (2023)

Germany has 21% more meat per person than South Africa

Germany: 70.7 kg (2023) · South Africa: 58.3 kg (2023)

Germany has 841 kcal more food per person per day than South Africa

Germany: 3,535 kcal (2023) · South Africa: 2,694 kcal (2023)

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)

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)

Germany welcomed 3.2 times as many tourists per resident as South Africa (2019)

Germany: 0.45 (2024) · South Africa: 0.14 (2024)

Germany has 43 more World Heritage sites than South Africa (55 against 12)

Germany: 55 (2026) · South Africa: 12 (2026)

Germany has won 980 Olympic medals, South Africa 95

Germany: 980 (2026 edition) · South Africa: 95 (2026 edition)

94% of people in Germany are online, versus 78% in South Africa

Germany: 94% (2024) · South Africa: 78% (2024)

Home internet in Germany is 2.4 times as fast as in South Africa

Germany: 187 Mbps (2026) · South Africa: 78 Mbps (2026)

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

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

82% of people in Germany live in cities, versus 64% in South Africa

Germany: 82% (2025) · South Africa: 64% (2025)

South Africa has 179 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Germany 129

Germany: 129 (2024) · South Africa: 179 (2024)

Germany’s railway network is 59% longer than South Africa’s

Germany: 33,401 km (2021) · South Africa: 20,953 km (2021)

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)

Forest covers 33% of Germany, but only 19% of South Africa

Germany: 32.8% (2024) · South Africa: 18.8% (2024)

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)

59% of Germany’s electricity is renewable, versus 14% in South Africa

Germany: 59.1% (2025) · South Africa: 13.6% (2025)

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)

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)

Roads in South Africa are 6.1 times as deadly as in Germany

Germany: 5.4 per 100k (2023) · South Africa: 33.1 per 100k (2023)

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)

Germany gets 70% more rain than South Africa

Germany: 871 mm (2016–2025 avg) · South Africa: 511 mm (2016–2025 avg)