South Africa’s coastline is 16% longer than South Korea’s

South Africa: 2,798 km (2026 edition) · South Korea: 2,413 km (2026 edition)

South Africa’s highest peak towers 1,500 m above South Korea’s

South Africa: 3,450 m (2026 edition) · South Korea: 1,950 m (2026 edition)

Farmland covers 79% of South Africa, versus 16% of South Korea

South Africa: 79.4% (2024) · South Korea: 16% (2024)

South Africa has 25% more people than South Korea

South Africa: 64.7 million (2025) · South Korea: 51.7 million (2025)

South Korea is 9.9 times as densely populated as South Africa

South Africa: 53 per km² (2025) · South Korea: 530 per km² (2025)

The typical person in South Korea is 16 years older than in South Africa

South Africa: 28.2 years (2023) · South Korea: 44.5 years (2023)

Women in South Africa have 1.5 more children on average than in South Korea

South Africa: 2.21 children per woman (2024) · South Korea: 0.75 children per woman (2024)

20% of people in South Korea are 65 or older, versus 6.9% in South Africa

South Africa: 6.9% (2025) · South Korea: 20.3% (2025)

South Africa hosts 10 times as many refugees per resident as South Korea

South Africa: 0.9 per 1,000 (2025) · South Korea: 0.1 per 1,000 (2025)

South Africa has produced 1.5 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, South Korea 0.6

South Africa: 1.5 (2026) · South Korea: 0.6 (2026)

South Africa has 11 official languages, South Korea 1

South Africa: 11 (2026) · South Korea: 1 (2026)

South Korea’s economy is 4.4 times the size of South Africa’s

South Africa: $427 billion (2025) · South Korea: $1.87 trillion (2025)

South Korea produces 4 times as much per person as South Africa

South Africa: Int$15,906 (2025) · South Korea: Int$63,125 (2025)

Income is more unequally shared in South Africa than in South Korea (Gini 21.2 points higher)

South Africa: 54.1 (2022) · South Korea: 32.9 (2021)

17% of people in South Africa live on less than $3 a day, versus 0.1% in South Korea

South Africa: 17.4% (2022) · South Korea: 0.1% (2021)

Unemployment is 32% in South Africa, versus 2.7% in South Korea

South Africa: 32.4% (2025) · South Korea: 2.7% (2025)

South Korea spends 2.6% of its GDP on the military, South Africa 0.7%

South Africa: 0.7% (2025) · South Korea: 2.6% (2025)

South Africa’s central government collects 26% of GDP in tax, South Korea’s 13%

South Africa: 25.9% (2024) · South Korea: 13.3% (2024)

South Korea’s price level (US = 100) is 1.4× South Africa’s

South Africa: 41% (2025) · South Korea: 57% (2025)

South Korea spends 5.8 times as much on health per person as South Africa

South Africa: $537 (2023) · South Korea: $3,137 (2024)

A baby in South Africa is 11 times as likely to die before turning one as in South Korea

South Africa: 24.2 per 1,000 (2024) · South Korea: 2.3 per 1,000 (2024)

South Korea has 3.3 times as many doctors per person as South Africa

South Africa: 0.8 per 1,000 (2022) · South Korea: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022)

South Africa: no data · South Korea: 12.8 per 1,000 (2022)

The suicide rate in South Korea is 44% higher than in South Africa

South Africa: 16.2 per 100k (2023) · South Korea: 23.4 per 100k (2023)

31% of adults in South Africa are obese, versus 7.5% in South Korea

South Africa: 31.3% (2024) · South Korea: 7.5% (2024)

24% of adults in South Africa smoke, versus 19% in South Korea

South Africa: 23.7% (2024) · South Korea: 18.6% (2024)

People in South Korea rate their lives 1.03 points higher than in South Africa

South Africa: 5.01 (2025) · South Korea: 6.04 (2025)

Adults in South Africa drink 4% more alcohol than in South Korea

South Africa: 8.6 litres (2023) · South Korea: 8.3 litres (2023)

South Korea has 44% more meat per person than South Africa

South Africa: 58.3 kg (2023) · South Korea: 84 kg (2023)

South Korea has 736 kcal more food per person per day than South Africa

South Africa: 2,694 kcal (2023) · South Korea: 3,430 kcal (2023)

Workers in South Africa put in 271 more hours a year than in South Korea

South Africa: 2,181 hours (2023) · South Korea: 1,910 hours (2023)

Adults in South Korea went to school 1.1 years longer than in South Africa

South Africa: 11.6 years (2023) · South Korea: 12.7 years (2023)

South Korea welcomed 2.3 times as many tourists per resident as South Africa (2019)

South Africa: 0.14 (2024) · South Korea: 0.32 (2024)

South Korea has 5 more World Heritage sites than South Africa (17 against 12)

South Africa: 12 (2026) · South Korea: 17 (2026)

South Korea has won 409 Olympic medals, South Africa 95

South Africa: 95 (2026 edition) · South Korea: 409 (2026 edition)

98% of people in South Korea are online, versus 78% in South Africa

South Africa: 78% (2024) · South Korea: 98% (2024)

Home internet in South Korea is 3.8 times as fast as in South Africa

South Africa: 78 Mbps (2026) · South Korea: 298 Mbps (2026)

100% of people in South Korea have electricity, versus 90% in South Africa

South Africa: 90.2% (2024) · South Korea: 100% (2024)

81% of people in South Korea live in cities, versus 64% in South Africa

South Africa: 64% (2025) · South Korea: 81% (2025)

South Africa has 179 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, South Korea 173

South Africa: 179 (2024) · South Korea: 173 (2024)

South Africa’s railway network is 4.9 times as long as South Korea’s

South Africa: 20,953 km (2021) · South Korea: 4,309 km (2021)

Airlines from South Korea fly 6.2 times as many passengers per resident as those from South Africa

South Africa: 0.24 (2023) · South Korea: 1.48 (2023)

Forest covers 64% of South Korea, but only 19% of South Africa

South Africa: 18.8% (2024) · South Korea: 64.4% (2024)

The average person in South Korea emits 64% more CO₂ than someone in South Africa

South Africa: 6.9 t (2024) · South Korea: 11.3 t (2024)

14% of South Africa’s electricity is renewable, versus 10% in South Korea

South Africa: 13.6% (2025) · South Korea: 10.4% (2025)

The air in South Africa carries 16% more fine dust than in South Korea

South Africa: 24.4 µg/m³ (2024) · South Korea: 21 µg/m³ (2024)

You are 92 times as likely to be murdered in South Africa as in South Korea

South Africa: 43.7 per 100k (2022) · South Korea: 0.5 per 100k (2023)

Roads in South Africa are 3.8 times as deadly as in South Korea

South Africa: 33.1 per 100k (2023) · South Korea: 8.7 per 100k (2023)

South Africa is on average 5.3 °C warmer than South Korea

South Africa: 18.4°C (2016–2025 avg) · South Korea: 13.2°C (2016–2025 avg)

South Korea gets 2.5 times as much rain as South Africa

South Africa: 511 mm (2016–2025 avg) · South Korea: 1,265 mm (2016–2025 avg)