Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Guatemala fits inside South Africa 11 times
Guatemala: 108,889 km² (2024) · South Africa: 1,219,600 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
South Africa’s coastline is 7 times as long as Guatemala’s
Guatemala: 400 km (2026 edition) · South Africa: 2,798 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Guatemala’s highest peak towers 770 m above South Africa’s
Guatemala: 4,220 m (2026 edition) · South Africa: 3,450 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 79% of South Africa, versus 46% of Guatemala
Guatemala: 46% (2024) · South Africa: 79.4% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
South Africa has 3.5 times as many people as Guatemala
Guatemala: 18.7 million (2025) · South Africa: 64.7 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Guatemala is 3.3 times as densely populated as South Africa
Guatemala: 174 per km² (2025) · South Africa: 53 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in South Africa are 5.3 cm taller than in Guatemala
Guatemala: 164.4 cm (2019) · South Africa: 169.6 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in South Africa are 7.7 cm taller than in Guatemala
Guatemala: 150.9 cm (2019) · South Africa: 158.6 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in South Africa is 5.6 years older than in Guatemala
Guatemala: 22.6 years (2023) · South Africa: 28.2 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Guatemala have 0.1 more children on average than in South Africa
Guatemala: 2.29 children per woman (2024) · South Africa: 2.21 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
6.9% of people in South Africa are 65 or older, versus 5.0% in Guatemala
Guatemala: 5% (2025) · South Africa: 6.9% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
South Africa hosts 10 times as many refugees per resident as Guatemala
Guatemala: 0.1 per 1,000 (2025) · South Africa: 0.9 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
South Africa has produced 1.5 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Guatemala 1.1
Guatemala: 1.1 (2026) · South Africa: 1.5 (2026)
How many official languages?
South Africa has 11 official languages, Guatemala 1
Guatemala: 1 (2026) · South Africa: 11 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
South Africa’s economy is 3.5 times the size of Guatemala’s
Guatemala: $123 billion (2025) · South Africa: $427 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
South Africa produces 5% more per person than Guatemala
Guatemala: Int$15,197 (2025) · South Africa: Int$15,906 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in South Africa than in Guatemala (Gini 8.9 points higher)
Guatemala: 45.2 (2023) · South Africa: 54.1 (2022)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
17% of people in South Africa live on less than $3 a day, versus 9.7% in Guatemala
Guatemala: 9.7% (2023) · South Africa: 17.4% (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 32% in South Africa, versus 2.6% in Guatemala
Guatemala: 2.6% (2025) · South Africa: 32.4% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
South Africa and Guatemala are practically level
Guatemala: 0.5% (2025) · South Africa: 0.7% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
South Africa’s central government collects 26% of GDP in tax, Guatemala’s 12%
Guatemala: 11.6% (2024) · South Africa: 25.9% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Guatemala’s price level (US = 100) is 1× South Africa’s
Guatemala: 43% (2025) · South Africa: 41% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
South Africa spends 37% more on health per person than Guatemala
Guatemala: $392 (2023) · South Africa: $537 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Guatemala live 6.4 years longer than in South Africa
Guatemala: 72.7 years (2024) · South Africa: 66.3 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in South Africa is 41% more likely to die before turning one than in Guatemala
Guatemala: 17.2 per 1,000 (2024) · South Africa: 24.2 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Guatemala has 61% more doctors per person than South Africa
Guatemala: 1.3 per 1,000 (2020) · South Africa: 0.8 per 1,000 (2022)
How many hospital beds are there?
Guatemala: 0.5 per 1,000 (2023) · South Africa: no data
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in South Africa is 2.9 times that in Guatemala
Guatemala: 5.5 per 100k (2023) · South Africa: 16.2 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
31% of adults in South Africa are obese, versus 27% in Guatemala
Guatemala: 26.7% (2024) · South Africa: 31.3% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
24% of adults in South Africa smoke, versus 11% in Guatemala
Guatemala: 11.2% (2024) · South Africa: 23.7% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Guatemala rate their lives 1.52 points higher than in South Africa
Guatemala: 6.53 (2025) · South Africa: 5.01 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in South Africa drink 2.8 times as much alcohol as in Guatemala
Guatemala: 3.1 litres (2023) · South Africa: 8.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
South Africa has 7% more meat per person than Guatemala
Guatemala: 54.3 kg (2023) · South Africa: 58.3 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Guatemala has 129 kcal more food per person per day than South Africa
Guatemala: 2,823 kcal (2023) · South Africa: 2,694 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in South Africa put in 31 more hours a year than in Guatemala
Guatemala: 2,151 hours (2023) · South Africa: 2,181 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in South Africa went to school 5.8 years longer than in Guatemala
Guatemala: 5.8 years (2023) · South Africa: 11.6 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
South Africa welcomed 66% more tourists per resident than Guatemala (2019)
Guatemala: 0.08 (2022) · South Africa: 0.14 (2024)
How many World Heritage sites?
South Africa has 8 more World Heritage sites than Guatemala (12 against 4)
Guatemala: 4 (2026) · South Africa: 12 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
South Africa has won 95 Olympic medals, Guatemala 3
Guatemala: 3 (2026 edition) · South Africa: 95 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
78% of people in South Africa are online, versus 60% in Guatemala
Guatemala: 60% (2024) · South Africa: 78% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in Guatemala is 89% faster than in South Africa
Guatemala: 149 Mbps (2026) · South Africa: 78 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
91% of people in Guatemala have electricity, versus 90% in South Africa
Guatemala: 90.9% (2024) · South Africa: 90.2% (2024)
How many live in cities?
64% of people in South Africa live in cities, versus 56% in Guatemala
Guatemala: 56% (2025) · South Africa: 64% (2025)
How many phones per person?
South Africa has 179 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Guatemala 113
Guatemala: 113 (2024) · South Africa: 179 (2024)
How much railway is there?
South Africa’s railway network is 26 times as long as Guatemala’s
Guatemala: 800 km (2018) · South Africa: 20,953 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from South Africa fly 20 times as many passengers per resident as those from Guatemala
Guatemala: 0.01 (2023) · South Africa: 0.24 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 33% of Guatemala, but only 19% of South Africa
Guatemala: 33.1% (2024) · South Africa: 18.8% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in South Africa emits 6.4 times as much CO₂ as someone in Guatemala
Guatemala: 1.1 t (2024) · South Africa: 6.9 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
68% of Guatemala’s electricity is renewable, versus 14% in South Africa
Guatemala: 68.3% (2024) · South Africa: 13.6% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Guatemala carries 14% more fine dust than in South Africa
Guatemala: 27.7 µg/m³ (2024) · South Africa: 24.4 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 87% more likely to be murdered in South Africa than in Guatemala
Guatemala: 23.4 per 100k (2023) · South Africa: 43.7 per 100k (2022)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in South Africa are 57% deadlier than in Guatemala
Guatemala: 21.1 per 100k (2023) · South Africa: 33.1 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Guatemala is on average 5.3 °C warmer than South Africa
Guatemala: 23.7°C (2016–2025 avg) · South Africa: 18.4°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Guatemala gets 3.5 times as much rain as South Africa
Guatemala: 1,811 mm (2016–2025 avg) · South Africa: 511 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Guatemala bigger than South Africa?
South Africa is larger. Guatemala fits inside South Africa 11 times.
Which has more people, Guatemala or South Africa?
South Africa has 3.5 times as many people as Guatemala (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Guatemala or South Africa?
People in Guatemala live 6.4 years longer than in South Africa. Life expectancy at birth is 72.7 years in Guatemala and 66.3 in South Africa.
Are people taller in Guatemala or South Africa?
Men in South Africa are 5.3 cm taller than in Guatemala (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
