South Africa vs Eswatini: how the neighbours compare
| Indicator | South Africa | Eswatini | Ranks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | |||
| Population | 64.7m2025 | 1.3m2025 | 24 · 158 |
| Area | 1,219,602 km²2024 | 17,364 km²2024 | 24 · 155 |
| Density | 52.82024 | 72.32024 | 151 · 135 |
| Urban share | 63.8%2025 | 26.7%2025 | 111 · 201 |
| Fertility | 2.212024 | 2.722024 | 94 · 64 |
| Aged 65+ | 6.9%2025 | 4.3%2025 | 126 · 161 |
| Economy | |||
| GDP | $427bn2025 | $5.2bn2025 | 40 · 169 |
| GDP per capita | $6,5982025 | $4,1082025 | 126 · 149 |
| GDP per capita, PPP | $15,9062025 | $12,5292025 | 120 · 132 |
| GDP growth | 1.1%2025 | 4.2%2025 | 169 · 76 |
| Agriculture share | 2.8%2025 | 6.4%2025 | 130 · 97 |
| Industry share | 24.1%2025 | 33.6%2025 | 95 · 40 |
| Services share | 63.1%2025 | 52.4%2025 | 68 · 133 |
| Prices & public finance | |||
| Inflation | 3.2%2025 | — | 89 · — |
| Tax revenue | 25.9%2024 | 24.3%2021 | 10 · 16 |
| Military spending | 0.74%2025 | 1.60%2025 | 133 · 84 |
| Trade & investment | |||
| Exports | 31.4%2025 | 53.8%2024 | 110 · 50 |
| FDI inflows | -0.5%2025 | 1.0%2025 | 184 · 143 |
| Labour | |||
| Unemployment | 32.4%2025 | 34.2%2025 | 2 · 1 |
| Aid, poverty & equality | |||
| Women in parliament | 44.9%2025 | 21.6%2025 | 16 · 115 |
| Education | |||
| Tertiary enrolment | 23.5%2023 | — | 123 · — |
| Education spending | 6.0%2024 | 6.0%2024 | 26 · 25 |
| Health | |||
| Life expectancy | 66.3 yrs2024 | 64.3 yrs2024 | 183 · 192 |
| Infant mortality | 24.22024 | 42.22024 | 58 · 24 |
| Health spending | 8.9%2023 | 7.5%2023 | 47 · 75 |
| Physicians | 0.792022 | 0.562023 | 113 · 125 |
| Digital & energy access | |||
| Internet users | 78.4%2024 | 63.4%2024 | 105 · 135 |
| Fixed broadband | 5.32024 | 2.52024 | 137 · 155 |
| Electricity access | 90.2%2024 | 89.3%2024 | 161 · 162 |
| Environment | |||
| CO₂ per person | 6.88 t2024 | 0.88 t2024 | 36 · 144 |
| Renewable energy | 9.7%2021 | 64.7%2022 | 147 · 32 |
| Forest cover | 18.8%2024 | 25.3%2024 | 134 · 118 |
Higher value in each row is highlighted; it is not always the better one (think inflation or emissions). Ranks are world positions.
GDP per capita
South AfricaEswatini
Life expectancy
South AfricaEswatini
Population
South AfricaEswatini
Internet users
South AfricaEswatini
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)
more head-to-heads