The duel
Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
South Africa fits inside the United States 8.1 times.
South Africa: 1,219,090 km² (2023) · United States: 9,831,510 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
The United States’ coastline is 7.1 times as long as South Africa’s.
South Africa: 2,798 km (2026 edition) · United States: 19,924 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
The United States’ highest peak towers 2,740 m above South Africa’s.
South Africa: 3,450 m (2026 edition) · United States: 6,190 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
The United States has 5.3 times as many people as South Africa.
South Africa: 64.7 million (2025) · United States: 342 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
South Africa is 43% more densely populated than the United States.
South Africa: 53 per km² (2025) · United States: 37 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in the United States are 7.3 cm taller than in South Africa.
South Africa: 169.6 cm (2019) · United States: 176.9 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in the United States are 4.7 cm taller than in South Africa.
South Africa: 158.6 cm (2019) · United States: 163.3 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in the United States is 9.8 years older than in South Africa.
South Africa: 28.2 years (2023) · United States: 38 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in South Africa have 0.6 more children on average than in the United States.
South Africa: 2.21 children per woman (2024) · United States: 1.63 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
18% of people in the United States are 65 or older, versus 6.9% in South Africa.
South Africa: 6.9% (2025) · United States: 18.4% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
The United States has produced 8.7 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, South Africa 1.4.
South Africa: 1.4 (2025) · United States: 8.7 (2025)
How many official languages?
South Africa has 11 official languages, the United States 1.
South Africa: 11 (2026) · United States: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
The United States’ economy is 72 times the size of South Africa’s.
South Africa: $427 billion (2025) · United States: $30.8 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
The United States produces 5.7 times as much per person as South Africa.
South Africa: Int$15,906 (2025) · United States: Int$90,027 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in South Africa than in the United States (Gini 12.3 points higher).
South Africa: 54.1 (2022) · United States: 41.8 (2024)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 32% in South Africa, versus 4.2% in the United States.
South Africa: 32.4% (2025) · United States: 4.2% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
The United States spends 3.4% of its GDP on the military, South Africa 0.7%.
South Africa: 0.7% (2024) · United States: 3.4% (2024)
How expensive is it?
The United States’ price level (US = 100) is 2.4× South Africa’s.
South Africa: 41% (2025) · United States: 100% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
The United States spends 25 times as much on health per person as South Africa.
South Africa: $537 (2023) · United States: $13,473 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in the United States live 13 years longer than in South Africa.
South Africa: 66.3 years (2024) · United States: 78.9 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in South Africa is 4.4 times as likely to die before turning one as in the United States.
South Africa: 24.2 per 1,000 (2024) · United States: 5.5 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
The United States has 4.6 times as many doctors per person as South Africa.
South Africa: 0.8 per 1,000 (2022) · United States: 3.7 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
42% of adults in the United States are obese, versus 31% in South Africa.
South Africa: 31.3% (2024) · United States: 41.8% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
24% of adults in South Africa smoke, versus 16% in the United States.
South Africa: 23.7% (2024) · United States: 15.8% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in the United States rate their lives 1.81 points higher than in South Africa.
South Africa: 5.01 (2025) · United States: 6.82 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in the United States drink 11% more alcohol than in South Africa.
South Africa: 8.6 litres (2023) · United States: 9.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
The United States has 2.1 times as much meat per person as South Africa.
South Africa: 58.3 kg (2023) · United States: 122.1 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
The United States has 1,253 kcal more food per person per day than South Africa.
South Africa: 2,694 kcal (2023) · United States: 3,947 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in South Africa put in 393 more hours a year than in the United States.
South Africa: 2,181 hours (2023) · United States: 1,789 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in the United States went to school 2.3 years longer than in South Africa.
South Africa: 11.6 years (2023) · United States: 13.9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
The United States welcomed 53% more tourists per resident than South Africa (2019).
South Africa: 0.14 (2024) · United States: 0.21 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
95% of people in the United States are online, versus 78% in South Africa.
South Africa: 78% (2024) · United States: 95% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in the United States have electricity, versus 90% in South Africa.
South Africa: 90.2% (2024) · United States: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
80% of people in the United States live in cities, versus 64% in South Africa.
South Africa: 64% (2025) · United States: 80% (2025)
How many phones per person?
South Africa has 179 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, the United States 113.
South Africa: 179 (2024) · United States: 113 (2024)
How much railway is there?
The United States’ railway network is 7.1 times as long as South Africa’s.
South Africa: 20,953 km (2021) · United States: 148,553 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from the United States fly 12 times as many passengers per resident as those from South Africa.
South Africa: 0.24 (2023) · United States: 2.75 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 34% of the United States, but only 14% of South Africa.
South Africa: 14% (2023) · United States: 33.9% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in the United States emits 2.1 times as much CO₂ as someone in South Africa.
South Africa: 6.9 t (2024) · United States: 14.2 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
26% of the United States’ electricity is renewable, versus 14% in South Africa.
South Africa: 13.6% (2025) · United States: 25.6% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in South Africa carries 3.3 times as much fine dust as in the United States.
South Africa: 24.4 µg/m³ (2024) · United States: 7.5 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 7.6 times as likely to be murdered in South Africa as in the United States.
South Africa: 43.7 per 100k (2022) · United States: 5.8 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in South Africa are 73% deadlier than in the United States.
South Africa: 24.5 per 100k (2021) · United States: 14.2 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
South Africa is on average 8.1 °C warmer than the United States.
South Africa: 18.4°C (2016–2025 avg) · United States: 10.3°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
The United States gets 66% more rain than South Africa.
South Africa: 511 mm (2016–2025 avg) · United States: 849 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is South Africa bigger than the United States?
The United States is larger. South Africa fits inside the United States 8.1 times.
Which has more people, South Africa or the United States?
The United States has 5.3 times as many people as South Africa (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, South Africa or the United States?
People in the United States live 13 years longer than in South Africa. Life expectancy at birth is 66.3 years in South Africa and 78.9 in the United States.
Are people taller in South Africa or the United States?
Men in the United States are 7.3 cm taller than in South Africa (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
