Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Kenya fits inside South Africa 2.1 times.
Kenya: 591,969 km² (2023) · South Africa: 1,219,090 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
South Africa’s coastline is 5.2 times as long as Kenya’s.
Kenya: 536 km (2026 edition) · South Africa: 2,798 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Kenya’s highest peak towers 1,749 m above South Africa’s.
Kenya: 5,199 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 13% more people than Kenya.
Kenya: 57.5 million (2025) · South Africa: 64.7 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Kenya is 86% more densely populated than South Africa.
Kenya: 99 per km² (2025) · South Africa: 53 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Kenya and South Africa are practically level.
Kenya: 170.5 cm (2019) · South Africa: 169.6 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Kenya are 0.8 cm taller than in South Africa.
Kenya: 159.4 cm (2019) · South Africa: 158.6 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in South Africa is 8.7 years older than in Kenya.
Kenya: 19.5 years (2023) · South Africa: 28.2 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Kenya have 1.0 more children on average than in South Africa.
Kenya: 3.17 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 3.0% in Kenya.
Kenya: 3% (2025) · South Africa: 6.9% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
South Africa has produced 1.4 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Kenya 0.2.
Kenya: 0.2 (2025) · South Africa: 1.4 (2025)
How many official languages?
South Africa has 11 official languages, Kenya 2.
Kenya: 2 (2026) · South Africa: 11 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
South Africa’s economy is 3.1 times the size of Kenya’s.
Kenya: $136 billion (2025) · South Africa: $427 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
South Africa produces 2.3 times as much per person as Kenya.
Kenya: Int$7,016 (2025) · South Africa: Int$15,906 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in South Africa than in Kenya (Gini 15.6 points higher).
Kenya: 38.5 (2022) · South Africa: 54.1 (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 32% in South Africa, versus 5.4% in Kenya.
Kenya: 5.4% (2025) · South Africa: 32.4% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Kenya and South Africa are practically level.
Kenya: 1% (2024) · South Africa: 0.7% (2024)
How expensive is it?
South Africa’s price level (US = 100) is 1.2× Kenya’s.
Kenya: 34% (2025) · South Africa: 41% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
South Africa spends 6.3 times as much on health per person as Kenya.
Kenya: $85 (2023) · South Africa: $537 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in South Africa live 2.5 years longer than in Kenya.
Kenya: 63.8 years (2024) · South Africa: 66.3 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Kenya is 41% more likely to die before turning one than in South Africa.
Kenya: 34.2 per 1,000 (2024) · South Africa: 24.2 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
South Africa has 2.7 times as many doctors per person as Kenya.
Kenya: 0.3 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 10% in Kenya.
Kenya: 10.4% (2024) · South Africa: 31.3% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
24% of adults in South Africa smoke, versus 9.6% in Kenya.
Kenya: 9.6% (2024) · South Africa: 23.7% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in South Africa rate their lives 0.33 points higher than in Kenya.
Kenya: 4.67 (2025) · South Africa: 5.01 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in South Africa drink 3.8 times as much alcohol as in Kenya.
Kenya: 2.2 litres (2023) · South Africa: 8.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
South Africa has 5.7 times as much meat per person as Kenya.
Kenya: 10.2 kg (2023) · South Africa: 58.3 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
South Africa has 548 kcal more food per person per day than Kenya.
Kenya: 2,146 kcal (2023) · South Africa: 2,694 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in South Africa put in 147 more hours a year than in Kenya.
Kenya: 2,035 hours (2023) · South Africa: 2,181 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in South Africa went to school 3 years longer than in Kenya.
Kenya: 8.6 years (2023) · South Africa: 11.6 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
South Africa welcomed 5 times as many tourists per resident as Kenya (2019).
Kenya: 0.03 (2017) · South Africa: 0.14 (2024)
How many World Heritage sites?
South Africa has 4 more World Heritage sites than Kenya (12 against 8).
Kenya: 8 (2026) · South Africa: 12 (2026)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
78% of people in South Africa are online, versus 35% in Kenya.
Kenya: 35% (2024) · South Africa: 78% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
90% of people in South Africa have electricity, versus 77% in Kenya.
Kenya: 77% (2024) · South Africa: 90.2% (2024)
How many live in cities?
64% of people in South Africa live in cities, versus 32% in Kenya.
Kenya: 32% (2025) · South Africa: 64% (2025)
How many phones per person?
South Africa has 179 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Kenya 126.
Kenya: 126 (2024) · South Africa: 179 (2024)
How much railway is there?
South Africa’s railway network is 5.5 times as long as Kenya’s.
Kenya: 3,819 km (2018) · South Africa: 20,953 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from South Africa fly 2.7 times as many passengers per resident as those from Kenya.
Kenya: 0.09 (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 6.2% of Kenya.
Kenya: 6.2% (2023) · South Africa: 14% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in South Africa emits 18 times as much CO₂ as someone in Kenya.
Kenya: 0.4 t (2024) · South Africa: 6.9 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
90% of Kenya’s electricity is renewable, versus 14% in South Africa.
Kenya: 90% (2025) · South Africa: 13.6% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in South Africa carries 11% more fine dust than in Kenya.
Kenya: 22 µg/m³ (2024) · South Africa: 24.4 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 9 times as likely to be murdered in South Africa as in Kenya.
Kenya: 4.9 per 100k (2022) · South Africa: 43.7 per 100k (2022)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Kenya are 15% deadlier than in South Africa.
Kenya: 28.2 per 100k (2021) · South Africa: 24.5 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Kenya is on average 7.3 °C warmer than South Africa.
Kenya: 25.7°C (2016–2025 avg) · South Africa: 18.4°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Kenya gets 36% more rain than South Africa.
Kenya: 696 mm (2016–2025 avg) · South Africa: 511 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Kenya bigger than South Africa?
South Africa is larger. Kenya fits inside South Africa 2.1 times.
Which has more people, Kenya or South Africa?
South Africa has 13% more people than Kenya (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Kenya or South Africa?
People in South Africa live 2.5 years longer than in Kenya. Life expectancy at birth is 63.8 years in Kenya and 66.3 in South Africa.
Are people taller in Kenya or South Africa?
Kenya and South Africa are practically level (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
