Sweden’s coastline is 15% longer than South Africa’s

South Africa: 2,798 km (2026 edition) · Sweden: 3,218 km (2026 edition)

South Africa’s highest peak towers 1,350 m above Sweden’s

South Africa: 3,450 m (2026 edition) · Sweden: 2,100 m (2026 edition)

Farmland covers 79% of South Africa, versus 7.3% of Sweden

South Africa: 79.4% (2024) · Sweden: 7.3% (2024)

South Africa has 6.1 times as many people as Sweden

South Africa: 64.7 million (2025) · Sweden: 10.6 million (2025)

South Africa is 2.1 times as densely populated as Sweden

South Africa: 53 per km² (2025) · Sweden: 26 per km² (2025)

The typical person in Sweden is 12 years older than in South Africa

South Africa: 28.2 years (2023) · Sweden: 39.9 years (2023)

Women in South Africa have 0.8 more children on average than in Sweden

South Africa: 2.21 children per woman (2024) · Sweden: 1.43 children per woman (2024)

21% of people in Sweden are 65 or older, versus 6.9% in South Africa

South Africa: 6.9% (2025) · Sweden: 20.9% (2025)

Sweden hosts 16 times as many refugees per resident as South Africa

South Africa: 0.9 per 1,000 (2025) · Sweden: 13.6 per 1,000 (2025)

Sweden has produced 28.3 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, South Africa 1.5

South Africa: 1.5 (2026) · Sweden: 28.3 (2026)

South Africa has 11 official languages, Sweden 1

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

Sweden’s economy is 57% larger than South Africa’s

South Africa: $427 billion (2025) · Sweden: $669 billion (2025)

Sweden produces 4.6 times as much per person as South Africa

South Africa: Int$15,906 (2025) · Sweden: Int$72,529 (2025)

Income is more unequally shared in South Africa than in Sweden (Gini 24.8 points higher)

South Africa: 54.1 (2022) · Sweden: 29.3 (2023)

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

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

Unemployment is 32% in South Africa, versus 8.7% in Sweden

South Africa: 32.4% (2025) · Sweden: 8.7% (2025)

Sweden spends 2.5% of its GDP on the military, South Africa 0.7%

South Africa: 0.7% (2025) · Sweden: 2.5% (2025)

Sweden’s central government collects 27% of GDP in tax, South Africa’s 26%

South Africa: 25.9% (2024) · Sweden: 27.2% (2024)

Sweden’s price level (US = 100) is 2.1× South Africa’s

South Africa: 41% (2025) · Sweden: 87% (2025)

Sweden spends 12 times as much on health per person as South Africa

South Africa: $537 (2023) · Sweden: $6,485 (2024)

A baby in South Africa is 12 times as likely to die before turning one as in Sweden

South Africa: 24.2 per 1,000 (2024) · Sweden: 2 per 1,000 (2024)

Sweden has 5.6 times as many doctors per person as South Africa

South Africa: 0.8 per 1,000 (2022) · Sweden: 4.4 per 1,000 (2021)

South Africa: no data · Sweden: 1.9 per 1,000 (2022)

The suicide rate in South Africa is 28% higher than in Sweden

South Africa: 16.2 per 100k (2023) · Sweden: 12.7 per 100k (2023)

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

South Africa: 31.3% (2024) · Sweden: 18.7% (2024)

24% of adults in South Africa smoke, versus 20% in Sweden

South Africa: 23.7% (2024) · Sweden: 20.3% (2024)

People in Sweden rate their lives 2.25 points higher than in South Africa

South Africa: 5.01 (2025) · Sweden: 7.26 (2025)

Sweden and South Africa are nearly identical here

South Africa: 8.6 litres (2023) · Sweden: 8.7 litres (2023)

Sweden has 17% more meat per person than South Africa

South Africa: 58.3 kg (2023) · Sweden: 68.4 kg (2023)

Sweden has 673 kcal more food per person per day than South Africa

South Africa: 2,694 kcal (2023) · Sweden: 3,367 kcal (2023)

Workers in South Africa put in 750 more hours a year than in Sweden

South Africa: 2,181 hours (2023) · Sweden: 1,432 hours (2023)

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

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

Sweden welcomed 4.5 times as many tourists per resident as South Africa (2019)

South Africa: 0.14 (2024) · Sweden: 0.63 (2022)

Sweden has 3 more World Heritage sites than South Africa (15 against 12)

South Africa: 12 (2026) · Sweden: 15 (2026)

Sweden has won 709 Olympic medals, South Africa 95

South Africa: 95 (2026 edition) · Sweden: 709 (2026 edition)

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

South Africa: 78% (2024) · Sweden: 96% (2025)

Home internet in Sweden is 3.2 times as fast as in South Africa

South Africa: 78 Mbps (2026) · Sweden: 248 Mbps (2026)

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

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

89% of people in Sweden live in cities, versus 64% in South Africa

South Africa: 64% (2025) · Sweden: 89% (2025)

South Africa has 179 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Sweden 141

South Africa: 179 (2024) · Sweden: 141 (2024)

South Africa’s railway network is 2.2 times as long as Sweden’s

South Africa: 20,953 km (2021) · Sweden: 9,714 km (2021)

Airlines from Sweden fly 7.7 times as many passengers per resident as those from South Africa

South Africa: 0.24 (2023) · Sweden: 1.85 (2023)

Forest covers 69% of Sweden, but only 19% of South Africa

South Africa: 18.8% (2024) · Sweden: 68.6% (2024)

The average person in South Africa emits 91% more CO₂ than someone in Sweden

South Africa: 6.9 t (2024) · Sweden: 3.6 t (2024)

71% of Sweden’s electricity is renewable, versus 14% in South Africa

South Africa: 13.6% (2025) · Sweden: 71.2% (2025)

The air in South Africa carries 4.3 times as much fine dust as in Sweden

South Africa: 24.4 µg/m³ (2024) · Sweden: 5.7 µg/m³ (2024)

You are 38 times as likely to be murdered in South Africa as in Sweden

South Africa: 43.7 per 100k (2022) · Sweden: 1.1 per 100k (2023)

Roads in South Africa are 9.7 times as deadly as in Sweden

South Africa: 33.1 per 100k (2023) · Sweden: 3.4 per 100k (2023)

South Africa is on average 14.1 °C warmer than Sweden

South Africa: 18.4°C (2016–2025 avg) · Sweden: 4.3°C (2016–2025 avg)

Sweden gets 57% more rain than South Africa

South Africa: 511 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Sweden: 801 mm (2016–2025 avg)