Spain’s coastline is 77% longer than South Africa’s

South Africa: 2,798 km (2026 edition) · Spain: 4,964 km (2026 edition)

Spain’s highest peak towers 268 m above South Africa’s

South Africa: 3,450 m (2026 edition) · Spain: 3,718 m (2026 edition)

Farmland covers 79% of South Africa, versus 49% of Spain

South Africa: 79.4% (2024) · Spain: 49.3% (2024)

South Africa has 31% more people than Spain

South Africa: 64.7 million (2025) · Spain: 49.4 million (2025)

Spain is 85% more densely populated than South Africa

South Africa: 53 per km² (2025) · Spain: 99 per km² (2025)

The typical person in Spain is 17 years older than in South Africa

South Africa: 28.2 years (2023) · Spain: 44.9 years (2023)

Women in South Africa have 1.1 more children on average than in Spain

South Africa: 2.21 children per woman (2024) · Spain: 1.1 children per woman (2024)

22% of people in Spain are 65 or older, versus 6.9% in South Africa

South Africa: 6.9% (2025) · Spain: 21.6% (2025)

Spain hosts 12 times as many refugees per resident as South Africa

South Africa: 0.9 per 1,000 (2025) · Spain: 10.4 per 1,000 (2025)

South Africa has produced 1.5 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Spain 1.4

South Africa: 1.5 (2026) · Spain: 1.4 (2026)

South Africa has 11 official languages, Spain 1

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

Spain’s economy is 4.5 times the size of South Africa’s

South Africa: $427 billion (2025) · Spain: $1.91 trillion (2025)

Spain produces 3.8 times as much per person as South Africa

South Africa: Int$15,906 (2025) · Spain: Int$59,868 (2025)

Income is more unequally shared in South Africa than in Spain (Gini 20.7 points higher)

South Africa: 54.1 (2022) · Spain: 33.4 (2023)

17% of people in South Africa live on less than $3 a day, versus 0.8% in Spain

South Africa: 17.4% (2022) · Spain: 0.8% (2023)

Unemployment is 32% in South Africa, versus 10% in Spain

South Africa: 32.4% (2025) · Spain: 10.4% (2025)

Spain spends 2.1% of its GDP on the military, South Africa 0.7%

South Africa: 0.7% (2025) · Spain: 2.1% (2025)

South Africa’s central government collects 26% of GDP in tax, Spain’s 15%

South Africa: 25.9% (2024) · Spain: 14.9% (2024)

Spain’s price level (US = 100) is 1.6× South Africa’s

South Africa: 41% (2025) · Spain: 65% (2025)

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

South Africa: $537 (2023) · Spain: $3,107 (2023)

A baby in South Africa is 9.3 times as likely to die before turning one as in Spain

South Africa: 24.2 per 1,000 (2024) · Spain: 2.6 per 1,000 (2024)

Spain has 5.4 times as many doctors per person as South Africa

South Africa: 0.8 per 1,000 (2022) · Spain: 4.3 per 1,000 (2022)

South Africa: no data · Spain: 2.9 per 1,000 (2023)

The suicide rate in South Africa is 2.3 times that in Spain

South Africa: 16.2 per 100k (2023) · Spain: 7.1 per 100k (2023)

31% of adults in South Africa are obese, versus 19% in Spain

South Africa: 31.3% (2024) · Spain: 18.9% (2024)

28% of adults in Spain smoke, versus 24% in South Africa

South Africa: 23.7% (2024) · Spain: 27.6% (2024)

People in Spain rate their lives 1.53 points higher than in South Africa

South Africa: 5.01 (2025) · Spain: 6.54 (2025)

Adults in Spain drink 40% more alcohol than in South Africa

South Africa: 8.6 litres (2023) · Spain: 12.1 litres (2023)

Spain has 73% more meat per person than South Africa

South Africa: 58.3 kg (2023) · Spain: 100.8 kg (2023)

Spain has 683 kcal more food per person per day than South Africa

South Africa: 2,694 kcal (2023) · Spain: 3,377 kcal (2023)

Workers in South Africa put in 543 more hours a year than in Spain

South Africa: 2,181 hours (2023) · Spain: 1,638 hours (2023)

Adults in South Africa went to school 0.85 years longer than in Spain

South Africa: 11.6 years (2023) · Spain: 10.8 years (2023)

Spain welcomed 14 times as many tourists per resident as South Africa (2019)

South Africa: 0.14 (2024) · Spain: 1.92 (2024)

Spain has 38 more World Heritage sites than South Africa (50 against 12)

South Africa: 12 (2026) · Spain: 50 (2026)

Spain has won 195 Olympic medals, South Africa 95

South Africa: 95 (2026 edition) · Spain: 195 (2026 edition)

96% of people in Spain are online, versus 78% in South Africa

South Africa: 78% (2024) · Spain: 96% (2024)

Home internet in Spain is 4.1 times as fast as in South Africa

South Africa: 78 Mbps (2026) · Spain: 324 Mbps (2026)

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

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

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

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

South Africa has 179 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Spain 130

South Africa: 179 (2024) · Spain: 130 (2024)

South Africa’s railway network is 31% longer than Spain’s

South Africa: 20,953 km (2021) · Spain: 15,963 km (2021)

Airlines from Spain fly 8 times as many passengers per resident as those from South Africa

South Africa: 0.24 (2023) · Spain: 1.91 (2023)

Forest covers 38% of Spain, but only 19% of South Africa

South Africa: 18.8% (2024) · Spain: 38.2% (2024)

The average person in South Africa emits 49% more CO₂ than someone in Spain

South Africa: 6.9 t (2024) · Spain: 4.6 t (2024)

56% of Spain’s electricity is renewable, versus 14% in South Africa

South Africa: 13.6% (2025) · Spain: 55.9% (2025)

The air in South Africa carries 2.4 times as much fine dust as in Spain

South Africa: 24.4 µg/m³ (2024) · Spain: 10 µg/m³ (2024)

You are 63 times as likely to be murdered in South Africa as in Spain

South Africa: 43.7 per 100k (2022) · Spain: 0.7 per 100k (2023)

Roads in South Africa are 5.3 times as deadly as in Spain

South Africa: 33.1 per 100k (2023) · Spain: 6.2 per 100k (2023)

South Africa is on average 3.6 °C warmer than Spain

South Africa: 18.4°C (2016–2025 avg) · Spain: 14.8°C (2016–2025 avg)

Spain gets 30% more rain than South Africa

South Africa: 511 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Spain: 665 mm (2016–2025 avg)