Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Italy fits inside South Africa 4 times.
Italy: 302,070 km² (2023) · South Africa: 1,219,090 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Italy’s coastline is 2.7 times as long as South Africa’s.
Italy: 7,600 km (2026 edition) · South Africa: 2,798 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Italy’s highest peak towers 1,298 m above South Africa’s.
Italy: 4,748 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 10% more people than Italy.
Italy: 58.9 million (2025) · South Africa: 64.7 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Italy is 3.7 times as densely populated as South Africa.
Italy: 199 per km² (2025) · South Africa: 53 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Italy are 4.8 cm taller than in South Africa.
Italy: 174.4 cm (2019) · South Africa: 169.6 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Italy are 3.2 cm taller than in South Africa.
Italy: 161.8 cm (2019) · South Africa: 158.6 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Italy is 19 years older than in South Africa.
Italy: 47.5 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 Italy.
Italy: 1.18 children per woman (2024) · South Africa: 2.21 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
25% of people in Italy are 65 or older, versus 6.9% in South Africa.
Italy: 25.1% (2025) · South Africa: 6.9% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Italy has produced 3.4 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, South Africa 1.4.
Italy: 3.4 (2025) · South Africa: 1.4 (2025)
How many official languages?
South Africa has 11 official languages, Italy 1.
Italy: 1 (2026) · South Africa: 11 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Italy’s economy is 6 times the size of South Africa’s.
Italy: $2.55 trillion (2025) · South Africa: $427 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Italy produces 3.9 times as much per person as South Africa.
Italy: Int$62,803 (2025) · South Africa: Int$15,906 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in South Africa than in Italy (Gini 19.8 points higher).
Italy: 34.3 (2023) · South Africa: 54.1 (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 32% in South Africa, versus 6.4% in Italy.
Italy: 6.4% (2025) · South Africa: 32.4% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Italy spends 1.6% of its GDP on the military, South Africa 0.7%.
Italy: 1.6% (2024) · South Africa: 0.7% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Italy’s price level (US = 100) is 1.7× South Africa’s.
Italy: 69% (2025) · South Africa: 41% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Italy spends 6.3 times as much on health per person as South Africa.
Italy: $3,398 (2024) · South Africa: $537 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Italy live 18 years longer than in South Africa.
Italy: 84 years (2024) · South Africa: 66.3 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in South Africa is 11 times as likely to die before turning one as in Italy.
Italy: 2.3 per 1,000 (2024) · South Africa: 24.2 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Italy has 5.3 times as many doctors per person as South Africa.
Italy: 4.2 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 18% in Italy.
Italy: 17.9% (2024) · South Africa: 31.3% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
24% of adults in South Africa smoke, versus 22% in Italy.
Italy: 22.4% (2024) · South Africa: 23.7% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Italy rate their lives 1.56 points higher than in South Africa.
Italy: 6.57 (2025) · South Africa: 5.01 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in South Africa drink 2% more alcohol than in Italy.
Italy: 8.4 litres (2023) · South Africa: 8.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Italy has 22% more meat per person than South Africa.
Italy: 71.2 kg (2023) · South Africa: 58.3 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Italy has 1,059 kcal more food per person per day than South Africa.
Italy: 3,753 kcal (2023) · South Africa: 2,694 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in South Africa put in 480 more hours a year than in Italy.
Italy: 1,701 hours (2023) · South Africa: 2,181 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in South Africa went to school 0.78 years longer than in Italy.
Italy: 10.8 years (2023) · South Africa: 11.6 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Italy welcomed 7 times as many tourists per resident as South Africa (2019).
Italy: 0.98 (2024) · South Africa: 0.14 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
89% of people in Italy are online, versus 78% in South Africa.
Italy: 89% (2024) · South Africa: 78% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in Italy have electricity, versus 90% in South Africa.
Italy: 100% (2024) · South Africa: 90.2% (2024)
How many live in cities?
70% of people in Italy live in cities, versus 64% in South Africa.
Italy: 70% (2025) · South Africa: 64% (2025)
How many phones per person?
South Africa has 179 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Italy 133.
Italy: 133 (2024) · South Africa: 179 (2024)
How much railway is there?
South Africa’s railway network is 21% longer than Italy’s.
Italy: 17,305 km (2021) · South Africa: 20,953 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Italy fly 44% more passengers per resident than those from South Africa.
Italy: 0.34 (2023) · South Africa: 0.24 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 33% of Italy, but only 14% of South Africa.
Italy: 32.9% (2023) · South Africa: 14% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in South Africa emits 35% more CO₂ than someone in Italy.
Italy: 5.1 t (2024) · South Africa: 6.9 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
49% of Italy’s electricity is renewable, versus 14% in South Africa.
Italy: 48.8% (2025) · South Africa: 13.6% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in South Africa carries 61% more fine dust than in Italy.
Italy: 15.2 µg/m³ (2024) · South Africa: 24.4 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 77 times as likely to be murdered in South Africa as in Italy.
Italy: 0.6 per 100k (2023) · South Africa: 43.7 per 100k (2022)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in South Africa are 4.9 times as deadly as in Italy.
Italy: 5 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 4.5 °C warmer than Italy.
Italy: 13.9°C (2016–2025 avg) · South Africa: 18.4°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Italy gets 2 times as much rain as South Africa.
Italy: 1,030 mm (2016–2025 avg) · South Africa: 511 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Italy bigger than South Africa?
South Africa is larger. Italy fits inside South Africa 4 times.
Which has more people, Italy or South Africa?
South Africa has 10% more people than Italy (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Italy or South Africa?
People in Italy live 18 years longer than in South Africa. Life expectancy at birth is 84.0 years in Italy and 66.3 in South Africa.
Are people taller in Italy or South Africa?
Men in Italy are 4.8 cm taller than in South Africa (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
Keep duelling
Italy vs Austria 
Italy vs France 
Italy vs San Marino 
Italy vs Slovenia 
Italy vs Switzerland 
Italy vs Vatican City 
South Africa vs Botswana 
South Africa vs Lesotho 
South Africa vs Mozambique 
South Africa vs Namibia 
South Africa vs Eswatini 
South Africa vs Zimbabwe 
Italy vs the world → South Africa vs the world →