Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Norway fits inside South Africa 2 times.
Norway: 624,500 km² (2023) · South Africa: 1,219,090 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Norway’s coastline is 9 times as long as South Africa’s.
Norway: 25,148 km (2026 edition) · South Africa: 2,798 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
South Africa’s highest peak towers 981 m above Norway’s.
Norway: 2,469 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 12 times as many people as Norway.
Norway: 5.61 million (2025) · South Africa: 64.7 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
South Africa is 3.5 times as densely populated as Norway.
Norway: 15 per km² (2025) · South Africa: 53 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Norway are 10.8 cm taller than in South Africa.
Norway: 180.5 cm (2019) · South Africa: 169.6 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Norway are 7.9 cm taller than in South Africa.
Norway: 166.5 cm (2019) · South Africa: 158.6 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Norway is 11 years older than in South Africa.
Norway: 39.5 years (2023) · South Africa: 28.2 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in South Africa have 0.8 more children on average than in Norway.
Norway: 1.45 children per woman (2024) · South Africa: 2.21 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
19% of people in Norway are 65 or older, versus 6.9% in South Africa.
Norway: 19.1% (2025) · South Africa: 6.9% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Norway has produced 23.2 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, South Africa 1.4.
Norway: 23.2 (2025) · South Africa: 1.4 (2025)
How many official languages?
South Africa has 11 official languages, Norway 3.
Norway: 3 (2026) · South Africa: 11 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Norway’s economy is 24% larger than South Africa’s.
Norway: $531 billion (2025) · South Africa: $427 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Norway produces 6.5 times as much per person as South Africa.
Norway: Int$104,044 (2025) · South Africa: Int$15,906 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in South Africa than in Norway (Gini 27.6 points higher).
Norway: 26.5 (2023) · South Africa: 54.1 (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 32% in South Africa, versus 4.6% in Norway.
Norway: 4.6% (2025) · South Africa: 32.4% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Norway spends 2.1% of its GDP on the military, South Africa 0.7%.
Norway: 2.1% (2024) · South Africa: 0.7% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Norway’s price level (US = 100) is 2.2× South Africa’s.
Norway: 91% (2025) · South Africa: 41% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Norway spends 15 times as much on health per person as South Africa.
Norway: $8,296 (2023) · South Africa: $537 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Norway live 17 years longer than in South Africa.
Norway: 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 12 times as likely to die before turning one as in Norway.
Norway: 2 per 1,000 (2024) · South Africa: 24.2 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Norway has 6.3 times as many doctors per person as South Africa.
Norway: 5 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 21% in Norway.
Norway: 20.7% (2024) · South Africa: 31.3% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
24% of adults in South Africa smoke, versus 13% in Norway.
Norway: 12.9% (2024) · South Africa: 23.7% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Norway rate their lives 2.23 points higher than in South Africa.
Norway: 7.24 (2025) · South Africa: 5.01 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in South Africa drink 24% more alcohol than in Norway.
Norway: 7 litres (2023) · South Africa: 8.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Norway has 21% more meat per person than South Africa.
Norway: 70.4 kg (2023) · South Africa: 58.3 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Norway has 782 kcal more food per person per day than South Africa.
Norway: 3,476 kcal (2023) · South Africa: 2,694 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in South Africa put in 769 more hours a year than in Norway.
Norway: 1,412 hours (2023) · South Africa: 2,181 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Norway went to school 1.5 years longer than in South Africa.
Norway: 13.1 years (2023) · South Africa: 11.6 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Norway welcomed 6.5 times as many tourists per resident as South Africa (2019).
Norway: 0.91 (2022) · South Africa: 0.14 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
99% of people in Norway are online, versus 78% in South Africa.
Norway: 99% (2024) · South Africa: 78% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in Norway have electricity, versus 90% in South Africa.
Norway: 100% (2024) · South Africa: 90.2% (2024)
How many live in cities?
84% of people in Norway live in cities, versus 64% in South Africa.
Norway: 84% (2025) · South Africa: 64% (2025)
How many phones per person?
South Africa has 179 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Norway 109.
Norway: 109 (2024) · South Africa: 179 (2024)
How much railway is there?
South Africa’s railway network is 5.4 times as long as Norway’s.
Norway: 3,885 km (2021) · South Africa: 20,953 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Norway: no data · South Africa: 0.24 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 34% of Norway, but only 14% of South Africa.
Norway: 33.5% (2023) · South Africa: 14% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in South Africa emits 3% more CO₂ than someone in Norway.
Norway: 6.7 t (2024) · South Africa: 6.9 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
99% of Norway’s electricity is renewable, versus 14% in South Africa.
Norway: 99% (2025) · South Africa: 13.6% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in South Africa carries 3.6 times as much fine dust as in Norway.
Norway: 6.7 µg/m³ (2024) · South Africa: 24.4 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 60 times as likely to be murdered in South Africa as in Norway.
Norway: 0.7 per 100k (2023) · South Africa: 43.7 per 100k (2022)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in South Africa are 16 times as deadly as in Norway.
Norway: 1.5 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 16.8 °C warmer than Norway.
Norway: 1.6°C (2016–2025 avg) · South Africa: 18.4°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Norway gets 2.5 times as much rain as South Africa.
Norway: 1,259 mm (2016–2025 avg) · South Africa: 511 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Norway bigger than South Africa?
South Africa is larger. Norway fits inside South Africa 2 times.
Which has more people, Norway or South Africa?
South Africa has 12 times as many people as Norway (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Norway or South Africa?
People in Norway live 17 years longer than in South Africa. Life expectancy at birth is 83.2 years in Norway and 66.3 in South Africa.
Are people taller in Norway or South Africa?
Men in Norway are 10.8 cm taller than in South Africa (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
