Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Uganda fits inside South Africa 5 times.
South Africa: 1,219,090 km² (2023) · Uganda: 241,550 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
South Africa: 2,798 km (2026 edition) · Uganda: 0 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Uganda’s highest peak towers 1,660 m above South Africa’s.
South Africa: 3,450 m (2026 edition) · Uganda: 5,110 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
South Africa has 26% more people than Uganda.
South Africa: 64.7 million (2025) · Uganda: 51.4 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Uganda is 4.8 times as densely populated as South Africa.
South Africa: 53 per km² (2025) · Uganda: 256 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in South Africa are 0.9 cm taller than in Uganda.
South Africa: 169.6 cm (2019) · Uganda: 168.7 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
South Africa and Uganda are practically level.
South Africa: 158.6 cm (2019) · Uganda: 158.5 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in South Africa is 12 years older than in Uganda.
South Africa: 28.2 years (2023) · Uganda: 16.5 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Uganda have 2.0 more children on average than in South Africa.
South Africa: 2.21 children per woman (2024) · Uganda: 4.17 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
6.9% of people in South Africa are 65 or older, versus 2.2% in Uganda.
South Africa: 6.9% (2025) · Uganda: 2.2% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
South Africa has produced 1.4 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Uganda none.
South Africa: 1.4 (2025) · Uganda: 0 (2025)
How many official languages?
South Africa has 11 official languages, Uganda 2.
South Africa: 11 (2026) · Uganda: 2 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
South Africa’s economy is 6.9 times the size of Uganda’s.
South Africa: $427 billion (2025) · Uganda: $62 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
South Africa produces 4.6 times as much per person as Uganda.
South Africa: Int$15,906 (2025) · Uganda: Int$3,488 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in South Africa than in Uganda (Gini 11.4 points higher).
South Africa: 54.1 (2022) · Uganda: 42.7 (2019)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 32% in South Africa, versus 2.7% in Uganda.
South Africa: 32.4% (2025) · Uganda: 2.7% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Uganda spends 1.9% of its GDP on the military, South Africa 0.7%.
South Africa: 0.7% (2024) · Uganda: 1.9% (2024)
How expensive is it?
South Africa’s price level (US = 100) is 1.2× Uganda’s.
South Africa: 41% (2025) · Uganda: 35% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
South Africa spends 12 times as much on health per person as Uganda.
South Africa: $537 (2023) · Uganda: $45 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Uganda live 2.2 years longer than in South Africa.
South Africa: 66.3 years (2024) · Uganda: 68.5 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Uganda is 48% more likely to die before turning one than in South Africa.
South Africa: 24.2 per 1,000 (2024) · Uganda: 35.9 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
South Africa has 4.2 times as many doctors per person as Uganda.
South Africa: 0.8 per 1,000 (2022) · Uganda: 0.2 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
31% of adults in South Africa are obese, versus 8.2% in Uganda.
South Africa: 31.3% (2024) · Uganda: 8.2% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
24% of adults in South Africa smoke, versus 7.5% in Uganda.
South Africa: 23.7% (2024) · Uganda: 7.5% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in South Africa rate their lives 0.52 points higher than in Uganda.
South Africa: 5.01 (2025) · Uganda: 4.49 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in South Africa drink 2.1 times as much alcohol as in Uganda.
South Africa: 8.6 litres (2023) · Uganda: 4 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
South Africa has 5.4 times as much meat per person as Uganda.
South Africa: 58.3 kg (2023) · Uganda: 10.9 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
South Africa has 316 kcal more food per person per day than Uganda.
South Africa: 2,694 kcal (2023) · Uganda: 2,378 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in South Africa put in 54 more hours a year than in Uganda.
South Africa: 2,181 hours (2023) · Uganda: 2,128 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in South Africa went to school 5.3 years longer than in Uganda.
South Africa: 11.6 years (2023) · Uganda: 6.3 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
South Africa welcomed 3.9 times as many tourists per resident as Uganda (2019).
South Africa: 0.14 (2024) · Uganda: 0.04 (2019)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
78% of people in South Africa are online, versus 8.9% in Uganda.
South Africa: 78% (2024) · Uganda: 9% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
90% of people in South Africa have electricity, versus 55% in Uganda.
South Africa: 90.2% (2024) · Uganda: 55.3% (2024)
How many live in cities?
64% of people in South Africa live in cities, versus 32% in Uganda.
South Africa: 64% (2025) · Uganda: 32% (2025)
How many phones per person?
South Africa has 179 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Uganda 83.
South Africa: 179 (2024) · Uganda: 83 (2024)
How much railway is there?
South Africa’s railway network is 17 times as long as Uganda’s.
South Africa: 20,953 km (2021) · Uganda: 1,244 km (2014)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from South Africa fly 567 times as many passengers per resident as those from Uganda.
South Africa: 0.24 (2023) · Uganda: 0 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 14% of South Africa, but only 11% of Uganda.
South Africa: 14% (2023) · Uganda: 11% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in South Africa emits 54 times as much CO₂ as someone in Uganda.
South Africa: 6.9 t (2024) · Uganda: 0.1 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
97% of Uganda’s electricity is renewable, versus 14% in South Africa.
South Africa: 13.6% (2025) · Uganda: 97.1% (2024)
How clean is the air?
The air in Uganda carries 53% more fine dust than in South Africa.
South Africa: 24.4 µg/m³ (2024) · Uganda: 37.3 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 4.9 times as likely to be murdered in South Africa as in Uganda.
South Africa: 43.7 per 100k (2022) · Uganda: 9 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in South Africa are 53% deadlier than in Uganda.
South Africa: 24.5 per 100k (2021) · Uganda: 16 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Uganda is on average 5.3 °C warmer than South Africa.
South Africa: 18.4°C (2016–2025 avg) · Uganda: 23.7°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Uganda gets 2.9 times as much rain as South Africa.
South Africa: 511 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Uganda: 1,470 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is South Africa bigger than Uganda?
South Africa is larger. Uganda fits inside South Africa 5 times.
Which has more people, South Africa or Uganda?
South Africa has 26% more people than Uganda (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, South Africa or Uganda?
People in Uganda live 2.2 years longer than in South Africa. Life expectancy at birth is 66.3 years in South Africa and 68.5 in Uganda.
Are people taller in South Africa or Uganda?
Men in South Africa are 0.9 cm taller than in Uganda (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
