Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
South Africa fits inside Kazakhstan 2.2 times
Kazakhstan: 2,724,900 km² (2024) · South Africa: 1,219,600 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Kazakhstan: 0 km (2026 edition) · South Africa: 2,798 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Kazakhstan’s highest peak towers 3,560 m above South Africa’s
Kazakhstan: 7,010 m (2026 edition) · South Africa: 3,450 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
South Africa and Kazakhstan are practically level
Kazakhstan: 79.2% (2024) · South Africa: 79.4% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
South Africa has 3.1 times as many people as Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan: 20.8 million (2025) · South Africa: 64.7 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
South Africa is 6.9 times as densely populated as Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan: 8 per km² (2025) · South Africa: 53 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Kazakhstan are 5.9 cm taller than in South Africa
Kazakhstan: 175.5 cm (2019) · South Africa: 169.6 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Kazakhstan are 3.2 cm taller than in South Africa
Kazakhstan: 161.7 cm (2019) · South Africa: 158.6 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Kazakhstan is 1.3 years older than in South Africa
Kazakhstan: 29.5 years (2023) · South Africa: 28.2 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Kazakhstan have 0.8 more children on average than in South Africa
Kazakhstan: 2.98 children per woman (2024) · South Africa: 2.21 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
9.0% of people in Kazakhstan are 65 or older, versus 6.9% in South Africa
Kazakhstan: 9% (2025) · South Africa: 6.9% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
South Africa hosts 4.1 times as many refugees per resident as Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan: 0.2 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, Kazakhstan none
Kazakhstan: 0 (2026) · South Africa: 1.5 (2026)
How many official languages?
South Africa has 11 official languages, Kazakhstan 2
Kazakhstan: 2 (2026) · South Africa: 11 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
South Africa’s economy is 39% larger than Kazakhstan’s
Kazakhstan: $306 billion (2025) · South Africa: $427 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Kazakhstan produces 2.8 times as much per person as South Africa
Kazakhstan: Int$44,294 (2025) · South Africa: Int$15,906 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in South Africa than in Kazakhstan (Gini 24.9 points higher)
Kazakhstan: 29.2 (2021) · 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 0% in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan: 0% (2021) · South Africa: 17.4% (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 32% in South Africa, versus 4.8% in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan: 4.8% (2025) · South Africa: 32.4% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
South Africa and Kazakhstan are practically level
Kazakhstan: 0.4% (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, Kazakhstan’s 12%
Kazakhstan: 11.9% (2023) · South Africa: 25.9% (2024)
How expensive is it?
South Africa’s price level (US = 100) is 1.3× Kazakhstan’s
Kazakhstan: 33% (2025) · South Africa: 41% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
South Africa spends 10% more on health per person than Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan: $490 (2023) · South Africa: $537 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Kazakhstan live 8.2 years longer than in South Africa
Kazakhstan: 74.5 years (2024) · South Africa: 66.3 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in South Africa is 3.3 times as likely to die before turning one as in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan: 7.4 per 1,000 (2024) · South Africa: 24.2 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Kazakhstan has 4.7 times as many doctors per person as South Africa
Kazakhstan: 3.8 per 1,000 (2023) · South Africa: 0.8 per 1,000 (2022)
How many hospital beds are there?
Kazakhstan: 6.5 per 1,000 (2020) · South Africa: no data
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Kazakhstan is 12% higher than in South Africa
Kazakhstan: 18.2 per 100k (2023) · South Africa: 16.2 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
31% of adults in South Africa are obese, versus 22% in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan: 22.4% (2024) · South Africa: 31.3% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
24% of adults in South Africa smoke, versus 21% in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan: 21.1% (2024) · South Africa: 23.7% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Kazakhstan rate their lives 1.62 points higher than in South Africa
Kazakhstan: 6.63 (2025) · South Africa: 5.01 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in South Africa drink 45% more alcohol than in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan: 6 litres (2023) · South Africa: 8.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Kazakhstan has 11% more meat per person than South Africa
Kazakhstan: 64.9 kg (2023) · South Africa: 58.3 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Kazakhstan has 442 kcal more food per person per day than South Africa
Kazakhstan: 3,136 kcal (2023) · South Africa: 2,694 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in South Africa put in 207 more hours a year than in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan: 1,975 hours (2023) · South Africa: 2,181 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Kazakhstan went to school 0.94 years longer than in South Africa
Kazakhstan: 12.5 years (2023) · South Africa: 11.6 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Kazakhstan welcomed 3.6 times as many tourists per resident as South Africa (2019)
Kazakhstan: 0.5 (2024) · South Africa: 0.14 (2024)
How many World Heritage sites?
South Africa has 5 more World Heritage sites than Kazakhstan (12 against 7)
Kazakhstan: 7 (2026) · South Africa: 12 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
South Africa has won 95 Olympic medals, Kazakhstan 87
Kazakhstan: 87 (2026 edition) · South Africa: 95 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
93% of people in Kazakhstan are online, versus 78% in South Africa
Kazakhstan: 93% (2024) · South Africa: 78% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in Kazakhstan is 2.1 times as fast as in South Africa
Kazakhstan: 165 Mbps (2026) · South Africa: 78 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in Kazakhstan have electricity, versus 90% in South Africa
Kazakhstan: 100% (2024) · South Africa: 90.2% (2024)
How many live in cities?
64% of people in South Africa live in cities, versus 62% in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan: 62% (2025) · South Africa: 64% (2025)
How many phones per person?
South Africa has 179 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Kazakhstan 127
Kazakhstan: 127 (2024) · South Africa: 179 (2024)
How much railway is there?
South Africa’s railway network is 31% longer than Kazakhstan’s
Kazakhstan: 16,006 km (2021) · South Africa: 20,953 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Kazakhstan fly 2.4 times as many passengers per resident as those from South Africa
Kazakhstan: 0.57 (2023) · South Africa: 0.24 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 19% of South Africa, but only 1.3% of Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan: 1.3% (2024) · South Africa: 18.8% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Kazakhstan emits 2 times as much CO₂ as someone in South Africa
Kazakhstan: 13.9 t (2024) · South Africa: 6.9 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
15% of Kazakhstan’s electricity is renewable, versus 14% in South Africa
Kazakhstan: 14.9% (2025) · South Africa: 13.6% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in South Africa carries 52% more fine dust than in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan: 16 µg/m³ (2024) · South Africa: 24.4 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 17 times as likely to be murdered in South Africa as in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan: 2.6 per 100k (2022) · South Africa: 43.7 per 100k (2022)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in South Africa are 62% deadlier than in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan: 20.4 per 100k (2023) · South Africa: 33.1 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
South Africa is on average 10.6 °C warmer than Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan: 7.8°C (2016–2025 avg) · South Africa: 18.4°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
South Africa gets 56% more rain than Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan: 328 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 Kazakhstan bigger than South Africa?
Kazakhstan is larger. South Africa fits inside Kazakhstan 2.2 times.
Which has more people, Kazakhstan or South Africa?
South Africa has 3.1 times as many people as Kazakhstan (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Kazakhstan or South Africa?
People in Kazakhstan live 8.2 years longer than in South Africa. Life expectancy at birth is 74.5 years in Kazakhstan and 66.3 in South Africa.
Are people taller in Kazakhstan or South Africa?
Men in Kazakhstan are 5.9 cm taller than in South Africa (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
Keep duelling
Kazakhstan vs China 
Kazakhstan vs Kyrgyzstan 
Kazakhstan vs Russia 
Kazakhstan vs Turkmenistan 
Kazakhstan vs Uzbekistan 
South Africa vs Botswana 
South Africa vs Lesotho 
South Africa vs Mozambique 
South Africa vs Namibia 
South Africa vs Eswatini 
South Africa vs Zimbabwe 
Kazakhstan vs the world →South Africa vs the world →