The duel
Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
The United Kingdom fits inside South Africa 5 times.
South Africa: 1,219,090 km² (2023) · United Kingdom: 243,610 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
The United Kingdom’s coastline is 4.4 times as long as South Africa’s.
South Africa: 2,798 km (2026 edition) · United Kingdom: 12,429 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
South Africa’s highest peak towers 2,105 m above the United Kingdom’s.
South Africa: 3,450 m (2026 edition) · United Kingdom: 1,345 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
The United Kingdom has 7% more people than South Africa.
South Africa: 64.7 million (2025) · United Kingdom: 69.5 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
The United Kingdom is 5.4 times as densely populated as South Africa.
South Africa: 53 per km² (2025) · United Kingdom: 287 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in the United Kingdom are 8.6 cm taller than in South Africa.
South Africa: 169.6 cm (2019) · United Kingdom: 178.2 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in the United Kingdom are 5.4 cm taller than in South Africa.
South Africa: 158.6 cm (2019) · United Kingdom: 163.9 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in the United Kingdom is 12 years older than in South Africa.
South Africa: 28.2 years (2023) · United Kingdom: 39.8 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in South Africa have 0.7 more children on average than in the United Kingdom.
South Africa: 2.21 children per woman (2024) · United Kingdom: 1.55 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
20% of people in the United Kingdom are 65 or older, versus 6.9% in South Africa.
South Africa: 6.9% (2025) · United Kingdom: 19.7% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
The United Kingdom has produced 15.8 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, South Africa 1.4.
South Africa: 1.4 (2025) · United Kingdom: 15.8 (2025)
How many official languages?
South Africa has 11 official languages, the United Kingdom 1.
South Africa: 11 (2026) · United Kingdom: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
The United Kingdom’s economy is 9.4 times the size of South Africa’s.
South Africa: $427 billion (2025) · United Kingdom: $4 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
The United Kingdom produces 4.1 times as much per person as South Africa.
South Africa: Int$15,906 (2025) · United Kingdom: Int$64,607 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in South Africa than in the United Kingdom (Gini 21.7 points higher).
South Africa: 54.1 (2022) · United Kingdom: 32.4 (2021)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 32% in South Africa, versus 4.7% in the United Kingdom.
South Africa: 32.4% (2025) · United Kingdom: 4.7% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
The United Kingdom spends 2.3% of its GDP on the military, South Africa 0.7%.
South Africa: 0.7% (2024) · United Kingdom: 2.3% (2024)
How expensive is it?
The United Kingdom’s price level (US = 100) is 2.1× South Africa’s.
South Africa: 41% (2025) · United Kingdom: 89% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
The United Kingdom spends 11 times as much on health per person as South Africa.
South Africa: $537 (2023) · United Kingdom: $5,860 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in the United Kingdom live 15 years longer than in South Africa.
South Africa: 66.3 years (2024) · United Kingdom: 81.4 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in South Africa is 5.9 times as likely to die before turning one as in the United Kingdom.
South Africa: 24.2 per 1,000 (2024) · United Kingdom: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
The United Kingdom has 4.2 times as many doctors per person as South Africa.
South Africa: 0.8 per 1,000 (2022) · United Kingdom: 3.3 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is obesity?
31% of adults in South Africa are obese, versus 29% in the United Kingdom.
South Africa: 31.3% (2024) · United Kingdom: 29.2% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
24% of adults in South Africa smoke, versus 13% in the United Kingdom.
South Africa: 23.7% (2024) · United Kingdom: 12.8% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in the United Kingdom rate their lives 1.68 points higher than in South Africa.
South Africa: 5.01 (2025) · United Kingdom: 6.69 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in the United Kingdom drink 21% more alcohol than in South Africa.
South Africa: 8.6 litres (2023) · United Kingdom: 10.4 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
The United Kingdom has 45% more meat per person than South Africa.
South Africa: 58.3 kg (2023) · United Kingdom: 84.4 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
The United Kingdom has 741 kcal more food per person per day than South Africa.
South Africa: 2,694 kcal (2023) · United Kingdom: 3,435 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in South Africa put in 659 more hours a year than in the United Kingdom.
South Africa: 2,181 hours (2023) · United Kingdom: 1,523 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in the United Kingdom went to school 1.9 years longer than in South Africa.
South Africa: 11.6 years (2023) · United Kingdom: 13.5 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
The United Kingdom welcomed 4 times as many tourists per resident as South Africa (2019).
South Africa: 0.14 (2024) · United Kingdom: 0.55 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
95% of people in the United Kingdom are online, versus 78% in South Africa.
South Africa: 78% (2024) · United Kingdom: 95% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in the United Kingdom have electricity, versus 90% in South Africa.
South Africa: 90.2% (2024) · United Kingdom: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
83% of people in the United Kingdom live in cities, versus 64% in South Africa.
South Africa: 64% (2025) · United Kingdom: 83% (2025)
How many phones per person?
South Africa has 179 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, the United Kingdom 122.
South Africa: 179 (2024) · United Kingdom: 122 (2024)
How much railway is there?
South Africa’s railway network is 30% longer than the United Kingdom’s.
South Africa: 20,953 km (2021) · United Kingdom: 16,179 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from the United Kingdom fly 7.2 times as many passengers per resident as those from South Africa.
South Africa: 0.24 (2023) · United Kingdom: 1.71 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 14% of South Africa, but only 13% of the United Kingdom.
South Africa: 14% (2023) · United Kingdom: 13.3% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in South Africa emits 52% more CO₂ than someone in the United Kingdom.
South Africa: 6.9 t (2024) · United Kingdom: 4.5 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
52% of the United Kingdom’s electricity is renewable, versus 14% in South Africa.
South Africa: 13.6% (2025) · United Kingdom: 52% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in South Africa carries 2.8 times as much fine dust as in the United Kingdom.
South Africa: 24.4 µg/m³ (2024) · United Kingdom: 8.8 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 39 times as likely to be murdered in South Africa as in the United Kingdom.
South Africa: 43.7 per 100k (2022) · United Kingdom: 1.1 per 100k (2021)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in South Africa are 10 times as deadly as in the United Kingdom.
South Africa: 24.5 per 100k (2021) · United Kingdom: 2.4 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
South Africa is on average 8.5 °C warmer than the United Kingdom.
South Africa: 18.4°C (2016–2025 avg) · United Kingdom: 9.9°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
The United Kingdom gets 2.1 times as much rain as South Africa.
South Africa: 511 mm (2016–2025 avg) · United Kingdom: 1,070 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is South Africa bigger than the United Kingdom?
South Africa is larger. The United Kingdom fits inside South Africa 5 times.
Which has more people, South Africa or the United Kingdom?
The United Kingdom has 7% more people than South Africa (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, South Africa or the United Kingdom?
People in the United Kingdom live 15 years longer than in South Africa. Life expectancy at birth is 66.3 years in South Africa and 81.4 in the United Kingdom.
Are people taller in South Africa or the United Kingdom?
Men in the United Kingdom are 8.6 cm taller than in South Africa (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
