Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
South Africa is 55% bigger than Türkiye.
South Africa: 1,219,090 km² (2023) · Türkiye: 785,350 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Türkiye’s coastline is 2.6 times as long as South Africa’s.
South Africa: 2,798 km (2026 edition) · Türkiye: 7,200 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Türkiye’s highest peak towers 1,687 m above South Africa’s.
South Africa: 3,450 m (2026 edition) · Türkiye: 5,137 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Türkiye has 33% more people than South Africa.
South Africa: 64.7 million (2025) · Türkiye: 85.9 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Türkiye is 2.1 times as densely populated as South Africa.
South Africa: 53 per km² (2025) · Türkiye: 112 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Türkiye are 6.7 cm taller than in South Africa.
South Africa: 169.6 cm (2019) · Türkiye: 176.4 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Türkiye are 3.2 cm taller than in South Africa.
South Africa: 158.6 cm (2019) · Türkiye: 161.8 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Türkiye is 4.3 years older than in South Africa.
South Africa: 28.2 years (2023) · Türkiye: 32.5 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in South Africa have 0.7 more children on average than in Türkiye.
South Africa: 2.21 children per woman (2024) · Türkiye: 1.48 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
11% of people in Türkiye are 65 or older, versus 6.9% in South Africa.
South Africa: 6.9% (2025) · Türkiye: 10.6% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
South Africa has produced 1.4 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Türkiye 0.5.
South Africa: 1.4 (2025) · Türkiye: 0.5 (2025)
How many official languages?
South Africa has 11 official languages, Türkiye 1.
South Africa: 11 (2026) · Türkiye: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Türkiye’s economy is 3.7 times the size of South Africa’s.
South Africa: $427 billion (2025) · Türkiye: $1.6 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Türkiye produces 2.8 times as much per person as South Africa.
South Africa: Int$15,906 (2025) · Türkiye: Int$45,289 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in South Africa than in Türkiye (Gini 10.4 points higher).
South Africa: 54.1 (2022) · Türkiye: 43.7 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 32% in South Africa, versus 8.5% in Türkiye.
South Africa: 32.4% (2025) · Türkiye: 8.5% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Türkiye spends 1.9% of its GDP on the military, South Africa 0.7%.
South Africa: 0.7% (2024) · Türkiye: 1.9% (2024)
How expensive is it?
South Africa’s price level (US = 100) is 1× Türkiye’s.
South Africa: 41% (2025) · Türkiye: 41% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Türkiye spends 2% more on health per person than South Africa.
South Africa: $537 (2023) · Türkiye: $548 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Türkiye live 11 years longer than in South Africa.
South Africa: 66.3 years (2024) · Türkiye: 77.4 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in South Africa is 3 times as likely to die before turning one as in Türkiye.
South Africa: 24.2 per 1,000 (2024) · Türkiye: 8 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Türkiye has 2.8 times as many doctors per person as South Africa.
South Africa: 0.8 per 1,000 (2022) · Türkiye: 2.2 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
31% of adults in South Africa are obese, versus 30% in Türkiye.
South Africa: 31.3% (2024) · Türkiye: 30.5% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
31% of adults in Türkiye smoke, versus 24% in South Africa.
South Africa: 23.7% (2024) · Türkiye: 31.1% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Türkiye rate their lives 0.29 points higher than in South Africa.
South Africa: 5.01 (2025) · Türkiye: 5.30 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in South Africa drink 3.9 times as much alcohol as in Türkiye.
South Africa: 8.6 litres (2023) · Türkiye: 2.2 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
South Africa has 18% more meat per person than Türkiye.
South Africa: 58.3 kg (2023) · Türkiye: 49.4 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Türkiye has 1,198 kcal more food per person per day than South Africa.
South Africa: 2,694 kcal (2023) · Türkiye: 3,892 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in South Africa put in 434 more hours a year than in Türkiye.
South Africa: 2,181 hours (2023) · Türkiye: 1,747 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in South Africa went to school 2.6 years longer than in Türkiye.
South Africa: 11.6 years (2023) · Türkiye: 9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Türkiye welcomed 4.3 times as many tourists per resident as South Africa (2019).
South Africa: 0.14 (2024) · Türkiye: 0.59 (2022)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
90% of people in Türkiye are online, versus 78% in South Africa.
South Africa: 78% (2024) · Türkiye: 90% (2025)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in Türkiye have electricity, versus 90% in South Africa.
South Africa: 90.2% (2024) · Türkiye: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
89% of people in Türkiye live in cities, versus 64% in South Africa.
South Africa: 64% (2025) · Türkiye: 89% (2025)
How many phones per person?
South Africa has 179 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Türkiye 108.
South Africa: 179 (2024) · Türkiye: 108 (2024)
How much railway is there?
South Africa’s railway network is 2 times as long as Türkiye’s.
South Africa: 20,953 km (2021) · Türkiye: 10,546 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Türkiye fly 6.1 times as many passengers per resident as those from South Africa.
South Africa: 0.24 (2023) · Türkiye: 1.47 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 29% of Türkiye, but only 14% of South Africa.
South Africa: 14% (2023) · Türkiye: 29.5% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in South Africa emits 17% more CO₂ than someone in Türkiye.
South Africa: 6.9 t (2024) · Türkiye: 5.9 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
43% of Türkiye’s electricity is renewable, versus 14% in South Africa.
South Africa: 13.6% (2025) · Türkiye: 43.3% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Türkiye carries 5% more fine dust than in South Africa.
South Africa: 24.4 µg/m³ (2024) · Türkiye: 25.6 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 14 times as likely to be murdered in South Africa as in Türkiye.
South Africa: 43.7 per 100k (2022) · Türkiye: 3.2 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in South Africa are 3.8 times as deadly as in Türkiye.
South Africa: 24.5 per 100k (2021) · Türkiye: 6.5 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
South Africa is on average 5.7 °C warmer than Türkiye.
South Africa: 18.4°C (2016–2025 avg) · Türkiye: 12.7°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Türkiye gets 33% more rain than South Africa.
South Africa: 511 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Türkiye: 680 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is South Africa bigger than Türkiye?
South Africa is larger. South Africa is 55% bigger than Türkiye.
Which has more people, South Africa or Türkiye?
Türkiye has 33% more people than South Africa (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, South Africa or Türkiye?
People in Türkiye live 11 years longer than in South Africa. Life expectancy at birth is 66.3 years in South Africa and 77.4 in Türkiye.
Are people taller in South Africa or Türkiye?
Men in Türkiye are 6.7 cm taller than in South Africa (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
Keep duelling
South Africa vs Botswana 
South Africa vs Lesotho 
South Africa vs Mozambique 
South Africa vs Namibia 
South Africa vs Eswatini 
South Africa vs Zimbabwe 
Türkiye vs Armenia 
Türkiye vs Azerbaijan 
Türkiye vs Bulgaria 
Türkiye vs Georgia 
Türkiye vs Greece 
Türkiye vs Iran 
South Africa vs the world → Türkiye vs the world →