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Geo Factbook

China vs South Africa: Compare Statistics

Side-by-side comparison of 173 key metrics across economy, population, geography, and more — latest data through 2026.

China
chn
Leads on 104 of 173 metrics
South Africa
zaf
Leads on 58 of 173 metrics

Summary

China has 21.6 times as many people as South Africa (1.41 billion vs 65.49 million). China's economy is 48.8 times the size of South Africa's ($20.73 trillion vs $424.75 billion GDP).

Comparing China and South Africa: South Africa leads on Refined Petroleum Products Imports (195,200) against China (1.16); South Africa leads on Oil Imports (521,400) against China (4.75); South Africa leads on Oil Consumption (553,000) against China (9.19). Across 173 compared metrics, China wins on 104 and South Africa wins on 58.

  • Communications: 9 metrics compared
  • Economy: 65 metrics compared
  • Environment: 11 metrics compared
  • Geography: 7 metrics compared
  • Government: 9 metrics compared
  • Health: 22 metrics compared
  • Military and Security: 3 metrics compared
  • People and Society: 40 metrics compared
  • Transportation: 5 metrics compared
  • Travel and Tourism: 1 metric compared
  • Other: 1 metric compared

Communications

9 metrics
Metric🇨🇳 China🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Fixed Broadband Penetration47.19 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants★5.35 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
Internet Penetration Rate (%)92 %★78.36 %
Internet Usage Rate by Country (% of Population)90.6 %★75.66 %
Internet Userspercent of population: 78% (2023 est.)percent of population: 76% (2023 est.)
Mobile Internet Speed47.19 Mbps★5.35 Mbps
Press Freedom Index Score14.8 points75.71 points★
Radios417★17
Televisions400★6
Waterways110,000NA

Economy

65 metrics
Metric🇨🇳 China🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Agriculture Value Added as a Share of GDP by Country1.79T $★14.21B $
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by Country in Current US Dollars20.73T $★424.75B $
AI Investment (% of GDP)40.61 %★14.07 %
Apple Import Volume97.54M tonnes★48,832 tonnes
Bank Account Ownership Rate89.38 %★81.13 %
Central Bank Discount Rate (%)2.25 %5.75 %★
Coal Revenue0.572.4★
Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate (%)4.35 %10.38 %★
Corporate Tax Rate Trends25 %28 %★
Current Health Expenditure (% of GDP)5.4 % of GDP8.3 % of GDP★
Ease of Doing Business Index77.9★59.6
Electricity Consumption5.56207.1★
Electricity Exports18.91★16.55
Electricity from Fossil Fuels6285★
Electricity from Hydroelectric Plants18★1
Electricity from Nuclear Fuels24★
Electricity from Other Renewables18★10
Electricity Imports6.1910.56★
Electricity Installed Capacity1.6550.02★
Electricity Production5.88234.5★
Energy Consumption per Capita (USD)113.81 USD per capita★86.2 USD per capita
Female Labor Force Participation Rate69.58 %★55.4 %
Gini Index Coefficient37.163★
Gross Fixed Investment45.9★19.5
Gross National Saving45.8★16.1
High-Tech Export Percentage60.47 %★45.27 %
Highest GDP per Capita Countries25,066.52 USD★13,592.05 USD
Industrial Production Growth Rate (%)5.3 %★-0.4 %
Inflation Rate0.06 %★3.21 %
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)0.2 %★4.4 %
Military Expenditures (% of GDP)1.5 % of GDP★0.7 % of GDP
Natural Gas Consumption238.6★5.07
Natural Gas Exports3.37★0
Natural Gas Imports97.63★4.16
Natural Gas Production145.9906.1★
Natural Gas Proved Reserves5.44★0
Number of AI Patents Filed87,057 patents★22 patents
Oil Consumption9.19553,000★
Oil Exports480,600★54,930
Oil Imports4.75521,400★
Oil Production4.27192,100★
Oil Proved Reserves20.35★15
Population Below Poverty Line0 people★55.5 people
Private Investment (% of GDP)33.48 % of GDP★12.41 % of GDP
Public Debt47★76.2
R&D Expenditure (% of GDP)2.49 %★0.61 %
Real GDP Growth Rate (USD)5 USD★0.6 USD
Real Interest Rate Trends5.15 %7.42 %★
Refined Petroleum Products Consumption12.47621,000★
Refined Petroleum Products Exports848,400★105,600
Refined Petroleum Products Imports1.16195,200★
Refined Petroleum Products Production11.51487,100★
Remittances0.20.2
Researchers in R&D per Million1,849.24 researchers★444.16 researchers
Robotics Research Funding2.49 USD★0.61 USD
Share of population in poverty ($3 a day)4.74★31.21
Tax Burden (% of GDP)7.02 %★25.88 %
Tax Revenue (% of GDP)7.02 % of GDP25.88 % of GDP★
Taxes and Other Revenues7.626★
Top Exporting Countries3.75T USD★127.53B USD
Top FDI Inflows (% of GDP)0.41 %★-0.51 %
Total Number of Billionaires539★7
Unemployment Rate4.6 %★33.2 %
Youth Labor Force Participation Rate64.55 %55.58 %★
Youth Unemployment Rate15.8 %★59.93 %

Environment

11 metrics
Metric🇨🇳 China🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Annual CO₂ Emissions Growth (abs)117.03M3.23M★
Annual Forest Area Change Rate1.61M %★87,566.02 %
Average Annual Temperature8.21 °C18.35 °C★
Carbon Dioxide Emissions12.2★446.7
Global Precipitation Distribution833.24 mm★652.17 mm
Population Distributionoverwhelming majority of the population is found in the eastern half of the country; the west, with its vast mountainous and desert areas, remains sparsely populated; though ranked first in the world in total population, overall density is less than that the population is concentrated along the southern and southeastern coast, and inland around Pretoria; the eastern half of the country is more densely populated than the west, as shown in this population distribution map
Protected Land Area for Adaptation15.6 sq km★9.88 sq km
Protected Land Area Percentage15.6 %★9.6 %
Total Renewable Groundwater Resources by Country828.8 Cubic meters per year★4.8 Cubic meters per year
Total Renewable Water Resources2.8451.35★
Total Threatened Mammal Species78 species33 species★

Geography

7 metrics
Metric🇨🇳 China🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Percentage of land area by degree of urbanization6.74 %★1.94 %
Above-Ground Biomass in Forest (tonnes/ha)64.7285.66★
Agricultural land5.19M sq. km★963,410 sq. km
Airports per 1,000 Sq Km9.39M★1.21M
Coastline Length (km)14,500 km★2,798 km
Dam capacity per capita566.97 cubic meters per inhabitant★464.7 cubic meters per inhabitant
Irrigated Land690,070★16,700

Government

9 metrics
Metric🇨🇳 China🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Rule of Law Index by Country59.71 %61.59 %★
Administrative Divisions23★9
Corruption Perception Index43 index41 index★
Corruption Perceptions Index Score43 index★41 index
Independence131★
LGBT Rights Index Score1.9410.94★
Prison Population Rate119 per 100,000★286 per 100,000
Public Sector Corruption Perception4341★
Suffrage Participation Rate1818

Health

22 metrics
Metric🇨🇳 China🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Average BMI for Adults24.2 kg/m²25 kg/m²★
Change in Measles Immunization Rate95 %★76 %
Diabetes Prevalence (% of Population)11.9★7.2
Female Life Expectancy Leaders78.02 years★66.31 years
Global Stillbirth Rate Trends0.47 per 1,000 births★1.87 per 1,000 births
Health Care Spending per Capita1,906.71 USD★1,541.18 USD
Health Coverage Index Score85 score★74 score
Health Expenditure (% of GDP)5.4 % of GDP8.3 % of GDP★
Highest Male Life Expectancy78.02 years★66.31 years
HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence RateNA18.3 %
Hospital Bed Density4.3 people/sq km★2.3 people/sq km
Hospital Beds per Capita2.51 beds per 1,000★2.25 beds per 1,000
Low Birth Weight Prevalence4.97 %★16.64 %
Malaria Incidence Rate0 cases per 1,000★0.11 cases per 1,000
Maternal Mortality Ratio (%)16 %★118 %
Nurses and Midwives Density3.67 per 1,000 people6.39 per 1,000 people★
Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate (%)6.2 %★28.3 %
Out-of-Pocket Health Spending32.17 %6.69 %★
People Living With HIV/AIDSNA7.8
Public Health Spending (% of GDP)3.39 %4.08 %★
Total Number of Doctors3.11★0.79
Underweight Children Under 52.4★4.9

Military and Security

3 metrics
Metric🇨🇳 China🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Active Military Personnel2.04M personnel★74,000 personnel
Military Expenditure (% of GDP)1.72 %0.74 %★
Total Armed Forces Personnel (PPP)2.54M★89,000

People and Society

40 metrics
Metric🇨🇳 China🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Currently married (Percent)66.52 %★33.25 %
Human Capital Index0.67★0.42
Life expectancy at birth81.19 years★71.98 years
Median age of population40.64 years★29 years
Population Change-4.42M persons673,269.7 persons★
Population density147.29 per sq. km53.74 per sq. km★
Total population1.41B persons★65.49M persons
Academic Freedom Index0.070.83★
Average Female Breast Size by Country: Worldwide Data & RankingsAA-A★A
Beer Consumption per Capita1.21 liters3.65 liters★
Birth Rate (%)7.28 %17.21 %★
Contraceptive Prevalence Rate84.5 %★54.6 %
Crude Birth Rate6.77 per 1,000 people18.48 per 1,000 people★
Death Rate (%)7.97 %6.56 %★
Education Expenditure (% of GDP)4 % of GDP6 % of GDP★
Female population of reproductive age308.96M persons★18.20M persons
Female Tertiary Enrollment Rate (%)80.78 %★29.84 %
Fixed Broadband Penetration Rate47.19 %★5.35 %
Global Average Sex Ratio at Birth110.63 male/female★103.52 male/female
Human Development Index0.260.48★
Labor Force Participation Rate773.88★27.77
Learning-adjusted years of school8.55 years★4.88 years
Length of paid parental leave for mother0 days0 days
Major Urban Areas Population29.21 people★10.32 people
Mean Male Height (cm)171.83★166.68
Mean Years of Schooling8.99 years10.47 years★
Military Manpower at Military Age1818
Military Service Age and Obligation1818
Old-Age Dependency Ratio20.72 %9.65 %★
Percentage of population by degree of urbanization83.73 %★79.63 %
Physician Density3.11 people/sq km★0.79 people/sq km
Population Growth Rate-0.08 %1.06 %★
Population living in slums26.32 %★23.64 %
Primary School Pupil-Teacher Ratio16.29★30.33
Total deaths12.15M persons540,582.7 persons★
Total demand for family planning (Percent)70.06 %★62.02 %
Total fertility rate0.97 per woman2.17 per woman★
Total net-migration-306,257.4 persons39,599.6 persons★
Under-five mortality rate7.94 per live births★28.89 per live births
Urban Population Annual Growth Rate0.51 %1.34 %★

Transportation

5 metrics
Metric🇨🇳 China🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Air Travel Trips Per Capita (PPP)0.46★0.37
Airports552573★
Annual Human Space Visits (Total)00
Civil Air Travel284★90
Heliports120★49

Travel and Tourism

1 metric
Metric🇨🇳 China🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Tourism Receipts per Capita39.75B USD★6.72B USD

Other

1 metric
Metric🇨🇳 China🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Current Bank Rate3 %7 %★

Frequently Asked Questions About China vs South Africa

Which has a larger population, China or South Africa?▾

China. China has 21.6 times as many people as South Africa (1.41 billion vs 65.49 million). Data for 2026.

Which has a bigger economy, China or South Africa?▾

China. China's economy is 48.8 times the size of South Africa's ($20.73 trillion vs $424.75 billion GDP). Data for 2026.

Which is richer per person, China or South Africa?▾

China is richer per person: GDP per capita is about $14,673 in China vs $6,486 in South Africa (2026 GDP in current US dollars divided by population).

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