Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Morocco fits inside South Africa 2.7 times.
Morocco: 446,550 km² (2023) · South Africa: 1,219,090 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Morocco’s coastline is 5% longer than South Africa’s.
Morocco: 2,945 km (2026 edition) · South Africa: 2,798 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Morocco’s highest peak towers 715 m above South Africa’s.
Morocco: 4,165 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 68% more people than Morocco.
Morocco: 38.4 million (2025) · South Africa: 64.7 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Morocco is 61% more densely populated than South Africa.
Morocco: 86 per km² (2025) · South Africa: 53 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Morocco are 6.7 cm taller than in South Africa.
Morocco: 176.4 cm (2019) · South Africa: 169.6 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Morocco are 2.6 cm taller than in South Africa.
Morocco: 161.2 cm (2019) · South Africa: 158.6 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Morocco is 0.98 year older than in South Africa.
Morocco: 29.2 years (2023) · South Africa: 28.2 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Morocco and South Africa are practically level.
Morocco: 2.21 children per woman (2024) · South Africa: 2.21 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
8.5% of people in Morocco are 65 or older, versus 6.9% in South Africa.
Morocco: 8.5% (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, Morocco 0.3.
Morocco: 0.3 (2025) · South Africa: 1.4 (2025)
How many official languages?
South Africa has 11 official languages, Morocco 2.
Morocco: 2 (2026) · South Africa: 11 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
South Africa’s economy is 2.3 times the size of Morocco’s.
Morocco: $182 billion (2025) · South Africa: $427 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
South Africa produces 43% more per person than Morocco.
Morocco: Int$11,112 (2025) · South Africa: Int$15,906 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Morocco: no data · South Africa: 54.1 (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 32% in South Africa, versus 9.0% in Morocco.
Morocco: 9% (2025) · South Africa: 32.4% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Morocco spends 3.5% of its GDP on the military, South Africa 0.7%.
Morocco: 3.5% (2024) · South Africa: 0.7% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Morocco’s price level (US = 100) is 1× South Africa’s.
Morocco: 42% (2025) · South Africa: 41% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
South Africa spends 2.3 times as much on health per person as Morocco.
Morocco: $232 (2023) · South Africa: $537 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Morocco live 9.2 years longer than in South Africa.
Morocco: 75.5 years (2024) · South Africa: 66.3 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in South Africa is 65% more likely to die before turning one than in Morocco.
Morocco: 14.7 per 1,000 (2024) · South Africa: 24.2 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
South Africa has 7% more doctors per person than Morocco.
Morocco: 0.7 per 1,000 (2021) · South Africa: 0.8 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
31% of adults in South Africa are obese, versus 22% in Morocco.
Morocco: 22% (2024) · South Africa: 31.3% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
24% of adults in South Africa smoke, versus 13% in Morocco.
Morocco: 12.5% (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 0.36 points higher than in Morocco.
Morocco: 4.65 (2025) · South Africa: 5.01 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in South Africa drink 19 times as much alcohol as in Morocco.
Morocco: 0.5 litres (2023) · South Africa: 8.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
South Africa has 78% more meat per person than Morocco.
Morocco: 32.8 kg (2023) · South Africa: 58.3 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Morocco has 660 kcal more food per person per day than South Africa.
Morocco: 3,354 kcal (2023) · South Africa: 2,694 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
South Africa and Morocco are practically level.
Morocco: 2,174 hours (2023) · South Africa: 2,181 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in South Africa went to school 5.4 years longer than in Morocco.
Morocco: 6.2 years (2023) · South Africa: 11.6 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Morocco welcomed 2.1 times as many tourists per resident as South Africa (2019).
Morocco: 0.29 (2022) · South Africa: 0.14 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
91% of people in Morocco are online, versus 78% in South Africa.
Morocco: 91% (2024) · South Africa: 78% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in Morocco have electricity, versus 90% in South Africa.
Morocco: 100% (2024) · South Africa: 90.2% (2024)
How many live in cities?
64% of people in South Africa live in cities, versus 63% in Morocco.
Morocco: 63% (2025) · South Africa: 64% (2025)
How many phones per person?
South Africa has 179 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Morocco 153.
Morocco: 153 (2024) · South Africa: 179 (2024)
How much railway is there?
South Africa’s railway network is 9.1 times as long as Morocco’s.
Morocco: 2,295 km (2021) · South Africa: 20,953 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Morocco fly 2% more passengers per resident than those from South Africa.
Morocco: 0.24 (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 13% of Morocco.
Morocco: 12.9% (2023) · South Africa: 14% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in South Africa emits 3.8 times as much CO₂ as someone in Morocco.
Morocco: 1.8 t (2024) · South Africa: 6.9 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
24% of Morocco’s electricity is renewable, versus 14% in South Africa.
Morocco: 24% (2025) · South Africa: 13.6% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in South Africa carries 40% more fine dust than in Morocco.
Morocco: 17.4 µg/m³ (2024) · South Africa: 24.4 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 26 times as likely to be murdered in South Africa as in Morocco.
Morocco: 1.7 per 100k (2024) · South Africa: 43.7 per 100k (2022)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in South Africa are 32% deadlier than in Morocco.
Morocco: 18.6 per 100k (2021) · South Africa: 24.5 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Morocco is on average 0.9 °C warmer than South Africa.
Morocco: 19.3°C (2016–2025 avg) · South Africa: 18.4°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
South Africa gets 2.1 times as much rain as Morocco.
Morocco: 239 mm (2016–2025 avg) · South Africa: 511 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Morocco bigger than South Africa?
South Africa is larger. Morocco fits inside South Africa 2.7 times.
Which has more people, Morocco or South Africa?
South Africa has 68% more people than Morocco (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Morocco or South Africa?
People in Morocco live 9.2 years longer than in South Africa. Life expectancy at birth is 75.5 years in Morocco and 66.3 in South Africa.
Are people taller in Morocco or South Africa?
Men in Morocco are 6.7 cm taller than in South Africa (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
