Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Sweden fits inside South Africa 2.3 times.
South Africa: 1,219,090 km² (2023) · Sweden: 528,660 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Sweden’s coastline is 15% longer than South Africa’s.
South Africa: 2,798 km (2026 edition) · Sweden: 3,218 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
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)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
South Africa has 6.1 times as many people as Sweden.
South Africa: 64.7 million (2025) · Sweden: 10.6 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
South Africa is 2.1 times as densely populated as Sweden.
South Africa: 53 per km² (2025) · Sweden: 26 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Sweden are 10.8 cm taller than in South Africa.
South Africa: 169.6 cm (2019) · Sweden: 180.5 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Sweden are 8.1 cm taller than in South Africa.
South Africa: 158.6 cm (2019) · Sweden: 166.7 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Sweden is 12 years older than in South Africa.
South Africa: 28.2 years (2023) · Sweden: 39.9 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
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)
How many people are 65 or older?
21% of people in Sweden are 65 or older, versus 6.9% in South Africa.
South Africa: 6.9% (2025) · Sweden: 20.9% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Sweden has produced 28.3 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, South Africa 1.4.
South Africa: 1.4 (2025) · Sweden: 28.3 (2025)
How many official languages?
South Africa has 11 official languages, Sweden 1.
South Africa: 11 (2026) · Sweden: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Sweden’s economy is 57% larger than South Africa’s.
South Africa: $427 billion (2025) · Sweden: $669 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Sweden produces 4.6 times as much per person as South Africa.
South Africa: Int$15,906 (2025) · Sweden: Int$72,529 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
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)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 32% in South Africa, versus 8.7% in Sweden.
South Africa: 32.4% (2025) · Sweden: 8.7% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Sweden spends 2.0% of its GDP on the military, South Africa 0.7%.
South Africa: 0.7% (2024) · Sweden: 2% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Sweden’s price level (US = 100) is 2.1× South Africa’s.
South Africa: 41% (2025) · Sweden: 87% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Sweden spends 12 times as much on health per person as South Africa.
South Africa: $537 (2023) · Sweden: $6,485 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in Sweden live 18 years longer than in South Africa.
South Africa: 66.3 years (2024) · Sweden: 84.1 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
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)
How many doctors are there?
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)
How common is obesity?
31% of adults in South Africa are obese, versus 19% in Sweden.
South Africa: 31.3% (2024) · Sweden: 18.7% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
24% of adults in South Africa smoke, versus 20% in Sweden.
South Africa: 23.7% (2024) · Sweden: 20.3% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Sweden rate their lives 2.25 points higher than in South Africa.
South Africa: 5.01 (2025) · Sweden: 7.26 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Sweden and South Africa are nearly identical here.
South Africa: 8.6 litres (2023) · Sweden: 8.7 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Sweden has 17% more meat per person than South Africa.
South Africa: 58.3 kg (2023) · Sweden: 68.4 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Sweden has 673 kcal more food per person per day than South Africa.
South Africa: 2,694 kcal (2023) · Sweden: 3,367 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
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)
How long do people go to school?
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)
How many tourists visit?
Sweden welcomed 4.5 times as many tourists per resident as South Africa (2019).
South Africa: 0.14 (2024) · Sweden: 0.63 (2022)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
96% of people in Sweden are online, versus 78% in South Africa.
South Africa: 78% (2024) · Sweden: 96% (2025)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in Sweden have electricity, versus 90% in South Africa.
South Africa: 90.2% (2024) · Sweden: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
89% of people in Sweden live in cities, versus 64% in South Africa.
South Africa: 64% (2025) · Sweden: 89% (2025)
How many phones per person?
South Africa has 179 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Sweden 141.
South Africa: 179 (2024) · Sweden: 141 (2024)
How much railway is there?
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)
How much do they fly?
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)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 69% of Sweden, but only 14% of South Africa.
South Africa: 14% (2023) · Sweden: 68.7% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
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)
How green is the power grid?
71% of Sweden’s electricity is renewable, versus 14% in South Africa.
South Africa: 13.6% (2025) · Sweden: 71.2% (2025)
How clean is the air?
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)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
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)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in South Africa are 12 times as deadly as in Sweden.
South Africa: 24.5 per 100k (2021) · Sweden: 2.1 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
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)
How much rain falls?
Sweden gets 57% more rain than South Africa.
South Africa: 511 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Sweden: 801 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is South Africa bigger than Sweden?
South Africa is larger. Sweden fits inside South Africa 2.3 times.
Which has more people, South Africa or Sweden?
South Africa has 6.1 times as many people as Sweden (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, South Africa or Sweden?
People in Sweden live 18 years longer than in South Africa. Life expectancy at birth is 66.3 years in South Africa and 84.1 in Sweden.
Are people taller in South Africa or Sweden?
Men in Sweden are 10.8 cm taller than in South Africa (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
