Finland vs South Africa: Compare Statistics
Side-by-side comparison of 177 key metrics across economy, population, geography, and more ā latest data through 2026.
Summary
South Africa has 11.6 times as many people as Finland (65.49 million vs 5.63 million). South Africa's economy is 37% larger than Finland's ($424.75 billion vs $310.92 billion GDP).
Comparing Finland and South Africa: South Africa leads on Population Change (673,270 persons) against Finland (851.50 persons); Finland leads on Apple Import Volume (31.38 million tonnes) against South Africa (48,832 tonnes); South Africa leads on People Living With HIV/AIDS (7.80) against Finland (4,000). Across 177 compared metrics, Finland wins on 91 and South Africa wins on 73.
- Communications: 9 metrics compared
- Economy: 67 metrics compared
- Environment: 12 metrics compared
- Geography: 7 metrics compared
- Government: 9 metrics compared
- Health: 24 metrics compared
- Military and Security: 3 metrics compared
- People and Society: 41 metrics compared
- Transportation: 4 metrics compared
- Travel and Tourism: 1 metric compared
Communications
9 metrics| Metric | š«š® Finland | šæš¦ South Africa | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed Broadband Penetration | 36.48 subscriptions per 100 inhabitantsā | 5.35 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants | |
| Internet Penetration Rate (%) | 93.72 %ā | 78.36 % | |
| Internet Usage Rate by Country (% of Population) | 93.51 %ā | 75.66 % | |
| Internet Users | percent of population: 94% (2023 est.) | percent of population: 76% (2023 est.) | |
| Mobile Internet Speed | 36.48 Mbpsā | 5.35 Mbps | |
| Press Freedom Index Score | 87.18 pointsā | 75.71 points | |
| Radios | 7.7 | 17ā | |
| Televisions | 3.2 | 6ā | |
| Waterways | 6,675 | NA |
Economy
67 metricsEnvironment
12 metrics| Metric | š«š® Finland | šæš¦ South Africa | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual COā Emissions Growth (abs) | -2.02Mā | 3.23M | |
| Annual Forest Area Change Rate | 26,800 % | 87,566.02 %ā | |
| Average Annual Temperature | 4.48 Ā°C | 18.35 Ā°Cā | |
| Carbon Dioxide Emissions | 33.59ā | 446.7 | |
| Continental Shelf | 200 | 200 | |
| Global Precipitation Distribution | 729.87 mmā | 652.17 mm | |
| Population Distribution | the vast majority of people are found in the south; the northern interior areas remain sparsely populated | 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 Adaptation | 13.94 sq kmā | 9.88 sq km | |
| Protected Land Area Percentage | 13.9 %ā | 9.6 % | |
| Total Renewable Groundwater Resources by Country | 2.2 Cubic meters per year | 4.8 Cubic meters per yearā | |
| Total Renewable Water Resources | 110ā | 51.35 | |
| Total Threatened Mammal Species | 2 speciesā | 33 species |
Geography
7 metrics| Metric | š«š® Finland | šæš¦ South Africa | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of land area by degree of urbanization | 0.8 % | 1.94 %ā | |
| Above-Ground Biomass in Forest (tonnes/ha) | 59.77 | 85.66ā | |
| Agricultural land | 22,592 sq. km | 963,410 sq. kmā | |
| Airports per 1,000 Sq Km | 303,960 | 1.21Mā | |
| Coastline Length (km) | 1,250 km | 2,798 kmā | |
| Dam capacity per capita | 3,314.75 cubic meters per inhabitantā | 464.7 cubic meters per inhabitant | |
| Irrigated Land | 80 | 16,700ā |
Government
9 metrics| Metric | š«š® Finland | šæš¦ South Africa | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rule of Law Index by Country | 100 %ā | 61.59 % | |
| Administrative Divisions | 19ā | 9 | |
| Corruption Perception Index | 88 index | 41 indexā | |
| Corruption Perceptions Index Score | 88 indexā | 41 index | |
| Independence | 6 | 31ā | |
| LGBT Rights Index Score | 10.84 | 10.94ā | |
| Prison Population Rate | 51 per 100,000ā | 259 per 100,000 | |
| Public Sector Corruption Perception | 88 | 41ā | |
| Suffrage Participation Rate | 18 | 18 |
Health
24 metricsMilitary and Security
3 metrics| Metric | š«š® Finland | šæš¦ South Africa | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Military Personnel | 19,000 personnel | 74,000 personnelā | |
| Military Expenditure (% of GDP) | 2.57 % | 0.74 %ā | |
| Total Armed Forces Personnel (PPP) | 22,000 | 89,000ā |
People and Society
41 metrics| Metric | š«š® Finland | šæš¦ South Africa | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Currently married (Percent) | 56.31 %ā | 33.25 % | |
| Human Capital Index | 0.79ā | 0.42 | |
| Life expectancy at birth | 85.05 yearsā | 71.98 years | |
| Median age of population | 43.4 yearsā | 29 years | |
| Population Change | 851.5 persons | 673,269.7 personsā | |
| Population density | 18.7 per sq. kmā | 53.74 per sq. km | |
| Total population | 5.63M persons | 65.49M personsā | |
| Academic Freedom Index | 0.82 | 0.83ā | |
| Average Female Breast Size by Country: Worldwide Data & Rankings | B-Cā | A | |
| Beer Consumption per Capita | 3.49 liters | 3.65 litersā | |
| Birth Rate (%) | 7.75 % | 17.21 %ā | |
| Contraceptive Prevalence Rate | 85.5 %ā | 54.6 % | |
| Crude Birth Rate | 7.8 per 1,000 people | 18.48 per 1,000 peopleā | |
| Death Rate (%) | 11.01 % | 6.56 %ā | |
| Education Expenditure (% of GDP) | 6.4 % of GDPā | 6 % of GDP | |
| Female population of reproductive age | 1.18M persons | 18.20M personsā | |
| Female Tertiary Enrollment Rate (%) | 123.14 %ā | 29.84 % | |
| Fixed Broadband Penetration Rate | 36.48 %ā | 5.35 % | |
| Global Average Sex Ratio at Birth | 105.14 male/femaleā | 103.52 male/female | |
| Human Development Index | 0.79ā | 0.48 | |
| Labor Force Participation Rate | 2.9 | 27.77ā | |
| Learning-adjusted years of school | 11.64 yearsā | 4.88 years | |
| Length of paid parental leave for mother | 0 days | 0 days | |
| Major Urban Areas Population | 1.34 people | 10.32 peopleā | |
| Mean Male Height (cm) | 179.59ā | 166.68 | |
| Mean Years of Schooling | 11.05 yearsā | 10.47 years | |
| Military Manpower at Military Age | 18 | 18 | |
| Military Service Age and Obligation | all Finnish men are obligated to serve 5.5-12 months of service within a branch of the military or the Border Guard upon reaching the age of 18 (length of service depends on the type of duty); women 18-29 may volunteer for service; there is also an option | 18 | |
| Old-Age Dependency Ratio | 38.31 % | 9.65 %ā | |
| Percentage of population by degree of urbanization | 61.43 % | 79.63 %ā | |
| Physician Density | 3.61 people/sq kmā | 0.79 people/sq km | |
| Population Growth Rate | 0.02 % | 1.06 %ā | |
| Population living in slums | 0 % | 23.64 %ā | |
| Primary School Pupil-Teacher Ratio | 13.33ā | 32.77 | |
| Total deaths | 61,296.9 personsā | 540,582.7 persons | |
| Total demand for family planning (Percent) | 81.66 %ā | 62.02 % | |
| Total fertility rate | 1.22 per woman | 2.17 per womanā | |
| Total net-migration | 20,646.1 persons | 39,599.6 personsā | |
| Under-five mortality rate | 2.2 per live birthsā | 28.89 per live births | |
| Urban Population Annual Growth Rate | 0.82 % | 1.34 %ā | |
| Voting Age Population | 71.82 millionsā | 39.64 millions |
Transportation
4 metrics| Metric | š«š® Finland | šæš¦ South Africa | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Travel Trips Per Capita (PPP) | 1.66ā | 0.37 | |
| Airports | 98 | 573ā | |
| Civil Air Travel | 42 | 90ā | |
| Heliports | 17 | 49ā |
Travel and Tourism
1 metric| Metric | š«š® Finland | šæš¦ South Africa | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tourism Receipts per Capita | 6.08B USD | 6.72B USDā |
Frequently Asked Questions About Finland vs South Africa
Which has a larger population, Finland or South Africa?ā¾
South Africa. South Africa has 11.6 times as many people as Finland (65.49 million vs 5.63 million). Data for 2026.
Which has a bigger economy, Finland or South Africa?ā¾
South Africa. South Africa's economy is 37% larger than Finland's ($424.75 billion vs $310.92 billion GDP). Data for 2026.
Which is richer per person, Finland or South Africa?ā¾
Finland is richer per person: GDP per capita is about $55,231 in Finland vs $6,486 in South Africa (2026 GDP in current US dollars divided by population).