Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Zimbabwe fits inside South Africa 3.1 times.
South Africa: 1,219,090 km² (2023) · Zimbabwe: 390,760 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
South Africa: 2,798 km (2026 edition) · Zimbabwe: 0 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
South Africa’s highest peak towers 858 m above Zimbabwe’s.
South Africa: 3,450 m (2026 edition) · Zimbabwe: 2,592 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
South Africa has 3.8 times as many people as Zimbabwe.
South Africa: 64.7 million (2025) · Zimbabwe: 17 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
South Africa is 22% more densely populated than Zimbabwe.
South Africa: 53 per km² (2025) · Zimbabwe: 44 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Zimbabwe are 1.1 cm taller than in South Africa.
South Africa: 169.6 cm (2019) · Zimbabwe: 170.7 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Zimbabwe are 1.3 cm taller than in South Africa.
South Africa: 158.6 cm (2019) · Zimbabwe: 159.9 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in South Africa is 10 years older than in Zimbabwe.
South Africa: 28.2 years (2023) · Zimbabwe: 17.8 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Zimbabwe have 1.5 more children on average than in South Africa.
South Africa: 2.21 children per woman (2024) · Zimbabwe: 3.67 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
6.9% of people in South Africa are 65 or older, versus 3.6% in Zimbabwe.
South Africa: 6.9% (2025) · Zimbabwe: 3.6% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
South Africa has produced 1.4 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Zimbabwe 0.6.
South Africa: 1.4 (2025) · Zimbabwe: 0.6 (2025)
How many official languages?
Zimbabwe has 15 official languages, South Africa 11.
South Africa: 11 (2026) · Zimbabwe: 15 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
South Africa’s economy is 8.3 times the size of Zimbabwe’s.
South Africa: $427 billion (2025) · Zimbabwe: $51.2 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
South Africa produces 2.5 times as much per person as Zimbabwe.
South Africa: Int$15,906 (2025) · Zimbabwe: Int$6,470 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in South Africa than in Zimbabwe (Gini 3.8 points higher).
South Africa: 54.1 (2022) · Zimbabwe: 50.3 (2019)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 32% in South Africa, versus 9.3% in Zimbabwe.
South Africa: 32.4% (2025) · Zimbabwe: 9.3% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
South Africa and Zimbabwe are practically level.
South Africa: 0.7% (2024) · Zimbabwe: 0.4% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Zimbabwe’s price level (US = 100) is 1.1× South Africa’s.
South Africa: 41% (2025) · Zimbabwe: 47% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
South Africa spends 8.5 times as much on health per person as Zimbabwe.
South Africa: $537 (2023) · Zimbabwe: $63 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in South Africa live 3.2 years longer than in Zimbabwe.
South Africa: 66.3 years (2024) · Zimbabwe: 63.1 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Zimbabwe is 2.6 times as likely to die before turning one as in South Africa.
South Africa: 24.2 per 1,000 (2024) · Zimbabwe: 62.4 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
South Africa has 5.8 times as many doctors per person as Zimbabwe.
South Africa: 0.8 per 1,000 (2022) · Zimbabwe: 0.1 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is obesity?
31% of adults in South Africa are obese, versus 13% in Zimbabwe.
South Africa: 31.3% (2024) · Zimbabwe: 13.1% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
24% of adults in South Africa smoke, versus 11% in Zimbabwe.
South Africa: 23.7% (2024) · Zimbabwe: 11% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in South Africa rate their lives 1.66 points higher than in Zimbabwe.
South Africa: 5.01 (2025) · Zimbabwe: 3.35 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in South Africa drink 59% more alcohol than in Zimbabwe.
South Africa: 8.6 litres (2023) · Zimbabwe: 5.4 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
South Africa has 1% more meat per person than Zimbabwe.
South Africa: 58.3 kg (2023) · Zimbabwe: 57.6 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
South Africa has 301 kcal more food per person per day than Zimbabwe.
South Africa: 2,694 kcal (2023) · Zimbabwe: 2,393 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Zimbabwe put in 130 more hours a year than in South Africa.
South Africa: 2,181 hours (2023) · Zimbabwe: 2,311 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in South Africa went to school 2.7 years longer than in Zimbabwe.
South Africa: 11.6 years (2023) · Zimbabwe: 8.9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
South Africa: 0.14 (2024) · Zimbabwe: no data
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
78% of people in South Africa are online, versus 42% in Zimbabwe.
South Africa: 78% (2024) · Zimbabwe: 42% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
90% of people in South Africa have electricity, versus 62% in Zimbabwe.
South Africa: 90.2% (2024) · Zimbabwe: 62% (2024)
How many live in cities?
64% of people in South Africa live in cities, versus 40% in Zimbabwe.
South Africa: 64% (2025) · Zimbabwe: 40% (2025)
How many phones per person?
South Africa has 179 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Zimbabwe 94.
South Africa: 179 (2024) · Zimbabwe: 94 (2024)
How much railway is there?
South Africa’s railway network is 6.7 times as long as Zimbabwe’s.
South Africa: 20,953 km (2021) · Zimbabwe: 3,120 km (2020)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from South Africa fly 44 times as many passengers per resident as those from Zimbabwe.
South Africa: 0.24 (2023) · Zimbabwe: 0.01 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 45% of Zimbabwe, but only 14% of South Africa.
South Africa: 14% (2023) · Zimbabwe: 44.7% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in South Africa emits 8.3 times as much CO₂ as someone in Zimbabwe.
South Africa: 6.9 t (2024) · Zimbabwe: 0.8 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
57% of Zimbabwe’s electricity is renewable, versus 14% in South Africa.
South Africa: 13.6% (2025) · Zimbabwe: 57.1% (2024)
How clean is the air?
The air in South Africa carries 21% more fine dust than in Zimbabwe.
South Africa: 24.4 µg/m³ (2024) · Zimbabwe: 20.1 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 6.5 times as likely to be murdered in South Africa as in Zimbabwe.
South Africa: 43.7 per 100k (2022) · Zimbabwe: 6.8 per 100k (2022)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Zimbabwe are 22% deadlier than in South Africa.
South Africa: 24.5 per 100k (2021) · Zimbabwe: 29.9 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Zimbabwe is on average 3.6 °C warmer than South Africa.
South Africa: 18.4°C (2016–2025 avg) · Zimbabwe: 22°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Zimbabwe gets 47% more rain than South Africa.
South Africa: 511 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Zimbabwe: 751 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is South Africa bigger than Zimbabwe?
South Africa is larger. Zimbabwe fits inside South Africa 3.1 times.
Which has more people, South Africa or Zimbabwe?
South Africa has 3.8 times as many people as Zimbabwe (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, South Africa or Zimbabwe?
People in South Africa live 3.2 years longer than in Zimbabwe. Life expectancy at birth is 66.3 years in South Africa and 63.1 in Zimbabwe.
Are people taller in South Africa or Zimbabwe?
Men in Zimbabwe are 1.1 cm taller than in South Africa (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
