Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Spain fits inside South Africa 2.4 times.
South Africa: 1,219,090 km² (2023) · Spain: 505,976 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Spain’s coastline is 77% longer than South Africa’s.
South Africa: 2,798 km (2026 edition) · Spain: 4,964 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Spain’s highest peak towers 268 m above South Africa’s.
South Africa: 3,450 m (2026 edition) · Spain: 3,718 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
South Africa has 31% more people than Spain.
South Africa: 64.7 million (2025) · Spain: 49.4 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Spain is 85% more densely populated than South Africa.
South Africa: 53 per km² (2025) · Spain: 99 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Spain are 6.5 cm taller than in South Africa.
South Africa: 169.6 cm (2019) · Spain: 176.1 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Spain are 3.4 cm taller than in South Africa.
South Africa: 158.6 cm (2019) · Spain: 162 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Spain is 17 years older than in South Africa.
South Africa: 28.2 years (2023) · Spain: 44.9 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
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)
How many people are 65 or older?
22% of people in Spain are 65 or older, versus 6.9% in South Africa.
South Africa: 6.9% (2025) · Spain: 21.6% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Spain has produced 1.4 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, South Africa 1.4.
South Africa: 1.4 (2025) · Spain: 1.4 (2025)
How many official languages?
South Africa has 11 official languages, Spain 1.
South Africa: 11 (2026) · Spain: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Spain’s economy is 4.5 times the size of South Africa’s.
South Africa: $427 billion (2025) · Spain: $1.91 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Spain produces 3.8 times as much per person as South Africa.
South Africa: Int$15,906 (2025) · Spain: Int$59,868 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
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)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 32% in South Africa, versus 10% in Spain.
South Africa: 32.4% (2025) · Spain: 10.4% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Spain spends 1.4% of its GDP on the military, South Africa 0.7%.
South Africa: 0.7% (2024) · Spain: 1.4% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Spain’s price level (US = 100) is 1.6× South Africa’s.
South Africa: 41% (2025) · Spain: 65% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Spain spends 5.8 times as much on health per person as South Africa.
South Africa: $537 (2023) · Spain: $3,107 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Spain live 18 years longer than in South Africa.
South Africa: 66.3 years (2024) · Spain: 83.9 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
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)
How many doctors are there?
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)
How common is obesity?
31% of adults in South Africa are obese, versus 19% in Spain.
South Africa: 31.3% (2024) · Spain: 18.9% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
28% of adults in Spain smoke, versus 24% in South Africa.
South Africa: 23.7% (2024) · Spain: 27.6% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Spain rate their lives 1.53 points higher than in South Africa.
South Africa: 5.01 (2025) · Spain: 6.54 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Spain drink 40% more alcohol than in South Africa.
South Africa: 8.6 litres (2023) · Spain: 12.1 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Spain has 73% more meat per person than South Africa.
South Africa: 58.3 kg (2023) · Spain: 100.8 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Spain has 683 kcal more food per person per day than South Africa.
South Africa: 2,694 kcal (2023) · Spain: 3,377 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
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)
How long do people go to school?
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)
How many tourists visit?
Spain welcomed 14 times as many tourists per resident as South Africa (2019).
South Africa: 0.14 (2024) · Spain: 1.92 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
96% of people in Spain are online, versus 78% in South Africa.
South Africa: 78% (2024) · Spain: 96% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in Spain have electricity, versus 90% in South Africa.
South Africa: 90.2% (2024) · Spain: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
81% of people in Spain live in cities, versus 64% in South Africa.
South Africa: 64% (2025) · Spain: 81% (2025)
How many phones per person?
South Africa has 179 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Spain 130.
South Africa: 179 (2024) · Spain: 130 (2024)
How much railway is there?
South Africa’s railway network is 31% longer than Spain’s.
South Africa: 20,953 km (2021) · Spain: 15,963 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
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)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 37% of Spain, but only 14% of South Africa.
South Africa: 14% (2023) · Spain: 37.2% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
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)
How green is the power grid?
56% of Spain’s electricity is renewable, versus 14% in South Africa.
South Africa: 13.6% (2025) · Spain: 55.9% (2025)
How clean is the air?
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)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
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)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in South Africa are 7 times as deadly as in Spain.
South Africa: 24.5 per 100k (2021) · Spain: 3.5 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
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)
How much rain falls?
Spain gets 30% more rain than South Africa.
South Africa: 511 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Spain: 665 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is South Africa bigger than Spain?
South Africa is larger. Spain fits inside South Africa 2.4 times.
Which has more people, South Africa or Spain?
South Africa has 31% more people than Spain (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, South Africa or Spain?
People in Spain live 18 years longer than in South Africa. Life expectancy at birth is 66.3 years in South Africa and 83.9 in Spain.
Are people taller in South Africa or Spain?
Men in Spain are 6.5 cm taller than in South Africa (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
