Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Israel fits inside South Africa 55 times.
Israel: 22,070 km² (2023) · South Africa: 1,219,090 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
South Africa’s coastline is 10 times as long as Israel’s.
Israel: 273 km (2026 edition) · South Africa: 2,798 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
South Africa’s highest peak towers 1,214 m above Israel’s.
Israel: 2,236 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 6.4 times as many people as Israel.
Israel: 10.1 million (2025) · South Africa: 64.7 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Israel is 8.8 times as densely populated as South Africa.
Israel: 468 per km² (2025) · South Africa: 53 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Israel are 6.3 cm taller than in South Africa.
Israel: 176 cm (2019) · South Africa: 169.6 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Israel are 3.6 cm taller than in South Africa.
Israel: 162.2 cm (2019) · South Africa: 158.6 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Israel is 0.94 years older than in South Africa.
Israel: 29.2 years (2023) · South Africa: 28.2 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Israel have 0.7 more children on average than in South Africa.
Israel: 2.87 children per woman (2024) · South Africa: 2.21 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
13% of people in Israel are 65 or older, versus 6.9% in South Africa.
Israel: 12.7% (2025) · South Africa: 6.9% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Israel has produced 5.9 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, South Africa 1.4.
Israel: 5.9 (2025) · South Africa: 1.4 (2025)
How many official languages?
South Africa has 11 official languages, Israel 2.
Israel: 2 (2026) · South Africa: 11 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Israel’s economy is 43% larger than South Africa’s.
Israel: $611 billion (2025) · South Africa: $427 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Israel produces 3.8 times as much per person as South Africa.
Israel: Int$59,717 (2025) · South Africa: Int$15,906 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in South Africa than in Israel (Gini 15.8 points higher).
Israel: 38.3 (2022) · South Africa: 54.1 (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 32% in South Africa, versus 3.5% in Israel.
Israel: 3.5% (2025) · South Africa: 32.4% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Israel spends 8.8% of its GDP on the military, South Africa 0.7%.
Israel: 8.8% (2024) · South Africa: 0.7% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Israel’s price level (US = 100) is 2.4× South Africa’s.
Israel: 101% (2025) · South Africa: 41% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Israel spends 7.3 times as much on health per person as South Africa.
Israel: $3,928 (2023) · South Africa: $537 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Israel live 17 years longer than in South Africa.
Israel: 83.2 years (2024) · South Africa: 66.3 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in South Africa is 9 times as likely to die before turning one as in Israel.
Israel: 2.7 per 1,000 (2024) · South Africa: 24.2 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Israel has 4.8 times as many doctors per person as South Africa.
Israel: 3.8 per 1,000 (2023) · South Africa: 0.8 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
31% of adults in South Africa are obese, versus 23% in Israel.
Israel: 23.3% (2024) · South Africa: 31.3% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
24% of adults in South Africa smoke, versus 21% in Israel.
Israel: 21.2% (2024) · South Africa: 23.7% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Israel rate their lives 2.18 points higher than in South Africa.
Israel: 7.19 (2025) · South Africa: 5.01 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in South Africa drink 2.1 times as much alcohol as in Israel.
Israel: 4.2 litres (2023) · South Africa: 8.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Israel has 87% more meat per person than South Africa.
Israel: 108.7 kg (2023) · South Africa: 58.3 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Israel has 1,060 kcal more food per person per day than South Africa.
Israel: 3,754 kcal (2023) · South Africa: 2,694 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in South Africa put in 291 more hours a year than in Israel.
Israel: 1,890 hours (2023) · South Africa: 2,181 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Israel went to school 1.9 years longer than in South Africa.
Israel: 13.5 years (2023) · South Africa: 11.6 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
South Africa welcomed 45% more tourists per resident than Israel (2019).
Israel: 0.1 (2024) · South Africa: 0.14 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
88% of people in Israel are online, versus 78% in South Africa.
Israel: 88% (2024) · South Africa: 78% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in Israel have electricity, versus 90% in South Africa.
Israel: 100% (2024) · South Africa: 90.2% (2024)
How many live in cities?
92% of people in Israel live in cities, versus 64% in South Africa.
Israel: 92% (2025) · South Africa: 64% (2025)
How many phones per person?
South Africa has 179 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Israel 177.
Israel: 177 (2024) · South Africa: 179 (2024)
How much railway is there?
South Africa’s railway network is 12 times as long as Israel’s.
Israel: 1,720 km (2021) · South Africa: 20,953 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Israel fly 3.1 times as many passengers per resident as those from South Africa.
Israel: 0.73 (2023) · South Africa: 0.24 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 14% of South Africa, but only 6.5% of Israel.
Israel: 6.5% (2023) · South Africa: 14% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in South Africa emits 23% more CO₂ than someone in Israel.
Israel: 5.6 t (2024) · South Africa: 6.9 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
17% of Israel’s electricity is renewable, versus 14% in South Africa.
Israel: 16.9% (2025) · South Africa: 13.6% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in South Africa carries 20% more fine dust than in Israel.
Israel: 20.4 µg/m³ (2024) · South Africa: 24.4 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 27 times as likely to be murdered in South Africa as in Israel.
Israel: 1.6 per 100k (2022) · South Africa: 43.7 per 100k (2022)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in South Africa are 5.8 times as deadly as in Israel.
Israel: 4.2 per 100k (2021) · South Africa: 24.5 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Israel is on average 2.7 °C warmer than South Africa.
Israel: 21.1°C (2016–2025 avg) · South Africa: 18.4°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
South Africa gets 2.5 times as much rain as Israel.
Israel: 205 mm (2016–2025 avg) · South Africa: 511 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Israel bigger than South Africa?
South Africa is larger. Israel fits inside South Africa 55 times.
Which has more people, Israel or South Africa?
South Africa has 6.4 times as many people as Israel (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Israel or South Africa?
People in Israel live 17 years longer than in South Africa. Life expectancy at birth is 83.2 years in Israel and 66.3 in South Africa.
Are people taller in Israel or South Africa?
Men in Israel are 6.3 cm taller than in South Africa (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
