Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Peru is 5% bigger than South Africa.
Peru: 1,285,220 km² (2023) · South Africa: 1,219,090 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
South Africa’s coastline is 16% longer than Peru’s.
Peru: 2,414 km (2026 edition) · South Africa: 2,798 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Peru’s highest peak towers 3,296 m above South Africa’s.
Peru: 6,746 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 87% more people than Peru.
Peru: 34.6 million (2025) · South Africa: 64.7 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
South Africa is 2 times as densely populated as Peru.
Peru: 27 per km² (2025) · South Africa: 53 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in South Africa are 2.9 cm taller than in Peru.
Peru: 166.8 cm (2019) · South Africa: 169.6 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in South Africa are 4.2 cm taller than in Peru.
Peru: 154.4 cm (2019) · South Africa: 158.6 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Peru is 1.2 years older than in South Africa.
Peru: 29.5 years (2023) · South Africa: 28.2 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in South Africa have 0.2 more children on average than in Peru.
Peru: 1.97 children per woman (2024) · South Africa: 2.21 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
9.5% of people in Peru are 65 or older, versus 6.9% in South Africa.
Peru: 9.5% (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, Peru 0.3.
Peru: 0.3 (2025) · South Africa: 1.4 (2025)
How many official languages?
South Africa has 11 official languages, Peru 3.
Peru: 3 (2026) · South Africa: 11 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
South Africa’s economy is 28% larger than Peru’s.
Peru: $335 billion (2025) · South Africa: $427 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Peru produces 18% more per person than South Africa.
Peru: Int$18,816 (2025) · South Africa: Int$15,906 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in South Africa than in Peru (Gini 14 points higher).
Peru: 40.1 (2024) · South Africa: 54.1 (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 32% in South Africa, versus 5.1% in Peru.
Peru: 5.1% (2025) · South Africa: 32.4% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Peru and South Africa are practically level.
Peru: 0.9% (2024) · South Africa: 0.7% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Peru’s price level (US = 100) is 1.2× South Africa’s.
Peru: 51% (2025) · South Africa: 41% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
South Africa spends 20% more on health per person than Peru.
Peru: $446 (2023) · South Africa: $537 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Peru live 12 years longer than in South Africa.
Peru: 77.9 years (2024) · South Africa: 66.3 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in South Africa is 2.2 times as likely to die before turning one as in Peru.
Peru: 11 per 1,000 (2024) · South Africa: 24.2 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Peru has 2.1 times as many doctors per person as South Africa.
Peru: 1.7 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 29% in Peru.
Peru: 29.1% (2024) · South Africa: 31.3% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
24% of adults in South Africa smoke, versus 12% in Peru.
Peru: 12.4% (2024) · South Africa: 23.7% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Peru rate their lives 0.96 points higher than in South Africa.
Peru: 5.97 (2025) · South Africa: 5.01 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in South Africa drink 81% more alcohol than in Peru.
Peru: 4.8 litres (2023) · South Africa: 8.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
South Africa has 5% more meat per person than Peru.
Peru: 55.4 kg (2023) · South Africa: 58.3 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Peru has 117 kcal more food per person per day than South Africa.
Peru: 2,811 kcal (2023) · South Africa: 2,694 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in South Africa put in 38 more hours a year than in Peru.
Peru: 2,143 hours (2023) · South Africa: 2,181 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in South Africa went to school 1.5 years longer than in Peru.
Peru: 10.2 years (2023) · South Africa: 11.6 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
South Africa welcomed 2.3 times as many tourists per resident as Peru (2019).
Peru: 0.06 (2022) · South Africa: 0.14 (2024)
How many World Heritage sites?
Peru has 1 more World Heritage site than South Africa (13 against 12).
Peru: 13 (2026) · South Africa: 12 (2026)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
82% of people in Peru are online, versus 78% in South Africa.
Peru: 82% (2024) · South Africa: 78% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
97% of people in Peru have electricity, versus 90% in South Africa.
Peru: 96.5% (2024) · South Africa: 90.2% (2024)
How many live in cities?
86% of people in Peru live in cities, versus 64% in South Africa.
Peru: 86% (2025) · South Africa: 64% (2025)
How many phones per person?
South Africa has 179 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Peru 125.
Peru: 125 (2024) · South Africa: 179 (2024)
How much railway is there?
South Africa’s railway network is 11 times as long as Peru’s.
Peru: 1,854 km (2017) · South Africa: 20,953 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Peru fly 2.1 times as many passengers per resident as those from South Africa.
Peru: 0.51 (2023) · South Africa: 0.24 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 56% of Peru, but only 14% of South Africa.
Peru: 56.1% (2023) · South Africa: 14% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in South Africa emits 3.3 times as much CO₂ as someone in Peru.
Peru: 2.1 t (2024) · South Africa: 6.9 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
64% of Peru’s electricity is renewable, versus 14% in South Africa.
Peru: 63.6% (2025) · South Africa: 13.6% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Peru carries 13% more fine dust than in South Africa.
Peru: 27.6 µg/m³ (2024) · South Africa: 24.4 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 5.1 times as likely to be murdered in South Africa as in Peru.
Peru: 8.6 per 100k (2021) · South Africa: 43.7 per 100k (2022)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in South Africa are 93% deadlier than in Peru.
Peru: 12.7 per 100k (2021) · South Africa: 24.5 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Peru is on average 0.8 °C warmer than South Africa.
Peru: 19.2°C (2016–2025 avg) · South Africa: 18.4°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Peru gets 4.2 times as much rain as South Africa.
Peru: 2,164 mm (2016–2025 avg) · South Africa: 511 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Peru bigger than South Africa?
Peru is larger. Peru is 5% bigger than South Africa.
Which has more people, Peru or South Africa?
South Africa has 87% more people than Peru (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Peru or South Africa?
People in Peru live 12 years longer than in South Africa. Life expectancy at birth is 77.9 years in Peru and 66.3 in South Africa.
Are people taller in Peru or South Africa?
Men in South Africa are 2.9 cm taller than in Peru (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
