South Africa: 2,798 km (2026 edition) · Zimbabwe: 0 km (2026 edition)

South Africa’s highest peak towers 858 m above Zimbabwe’s

South Africa: 3,450 m (2026 edition) · Zimbabwe: 2,592 m (2026 edition)

Farmland covers 79% of South Africa, versus 48% of Zimbabwe

South Africa: 79.4% (2024) · Zimbabwe: 48.1% (2024)

South Africa has 3.8 times as many people as Zimbabwe

South Africa: 64.7 million (2025) · Zimbabwe: 17 million (2025)

South Africa is 22% more densely populated than Zimbabwe

South Africa: 53 per km² (2025) · Zimbabwe: 44 per km² (2025)

The typical person in South Africa is 10 years older than in Zimbabwe

South Africa: 28.2 years (2023) · Zimbabwe: 17.8 years (2023)

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)

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)

South Africa hosts 69% more refugees per resident than Zimbabwe

South Africa: 0.9 per 1,000 (2025) · Zimbabwe: 0.5 per 1,000 (2025)

South Africa has produced 1.5 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Zimbabwe 0.6

South Africa: 1.5 (2026) · Zimbabwe: 0.6 (2026)

Zimbabwe has 15 official languages, South Africa 11

South Africa: 11 (2026) · Zimbabwe: 15 (2026)

South Africa’s economy is 8.3 times the size of Zimbabwe’s

South Africa: $427 billion (2025) · Zimbabwe: $51.2 billion (2025)

South Africa produces 2.5 times as much per person as Zimbabwe

South Africa: Int$15,906 (2025) · Zimbabwe: Int$6,470 (2025)

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)

49% of people in Zimbabwe live on less than $3 a day, versus 17% in South Africa

South Africa: 17.4% (2022) · Zimbabwe: 49.2% (2019)

Unemployment is 32% in South Africa, versus 9.3% in Zimbabwe

South Africa: 32.4% (2025) · Zimbabwe: 9.3% (2025)

South Africa and Zimbabwe are practically level

South Africa: 0.7% (2025) · Zimbabwe: 0.6% (2025)

South Africa’s central government collects 26% of GDP in tax, Zimbabwe’s 7.2%

South Africa: 25.9% (2024) · Zimbabwe: 7.2% (2018)

Zimbabwe’s price level (US = 100) is 1.1× South Africa’s

South Africa: 41% (2025) · Zimbabwe: 47% (2025)

South Africa spends 8.5 times as much on health per person as Zimbabwe

South Africa: $537 (2023) · Zimbabwe: $63 (2023)

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)

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)

The suicide rate in South Africa is 7% higher than in Zimbabwe

South Africa: 16.2 per 100k (2023) · Zimbabwe: 15.1 per 100k (2023)

31% of adults in South Africa are obese, versus 13% in Zimbabwe

South Africa: 31.3% (2024) · Zimbabwe: 13.1% (2024)

24% of adults in South Africa smoke, versus 11% in Zimbabwe

South Africa: 23.7% (2024) · Zimbabwe: 11% (2024)

People in South Africa rate their lives 1.66 points higher than in Zimbabwe

South Africa: 5.01 (2025) · Zimbabwe: 3.35 (2025)

Adults in South Africa drink 59% more alcohol than in Zimbabwe

South Africa: 8.6 litres (2023) · Zimbabwe: 5.4 litres (2023)

South Africa has 1% more meat per person than Zimbabwe

South Africa: 58.3 kg (2023) · Zimbabwe: 57.6 kg (2023)

South Africa has 301 kcal more food per person per day than Zimbabwe

South Africa: 2,694 kcal (2023) · Zimbabwe: 2,393 kcal (2023)

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)

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)

South Africa: 0.14 (2024) · Zimbabwe: no data

South Africa has 7 more World Heritage sites than Zimbabwe (12 against 5)

South Africa: 12 (2026) · Zimbabwe: 5 (2026)

South Africa has won 95 Olympic medals, Zimbabwe 8

South Africa: 95 (2026 edition) · Zimbabwe: 8 (2026 edition)

78% of people in South Africa are online, versus 42% in Zimbabwe

South Africa: 78% (2024) · Zimbabwe: 42% (2024)

Home internet in South Africa is 70% faster than in Zimbabwe

South Africa: 78 Mbps (2026) · Zimbabwe: 46 Mbps (2026)

90% of people in South Africa have electricity, versus 62% in Zimbabwe

South Africa: 90.2% (2024) · Zimbabwe: 62% (2024)

64% of people in South Africa live in cities, versus 40% in Zimbabwe

South Africa: 64% (2025) · Zimbabwe: 40% (2025)

South Africa has 179 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Zimbabwe 94

South Africa: 179 (2024) · Zimbabwe: 94 (2024)

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)

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)

Forest covers 36% of Zimbabwe, but only 19% of South Africa

South Africa: 18.8% (2024) · Zimbabwe: 35.7% (2024)

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)

57% of Zimbabwe’s electricity is renewable, versus 14% in South Africa

South Africa: 13.6% (2025) · Zimbabwe: 57.1% (2024)

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)

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)

Roads in Zimbabwe are 38% deadlier than in South Africa

South Africa: 33.1 per 100k (2023) · Zimbabwe: 45.6 per 100k (2023)

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)

Zimbabwe gets 47% more rain than South Africa

South Africa: 511 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Zimbabwe: 751 mm (2016–2025 avg)