India vs South Africa: Compare Statistics
Side-by-side comparison of 174 key metrics across economy, population, geography, and more ā latest data through 2026.
Summary
India has 22.6 times as many people as South Africa (1.48 billion vs 65.49 million). India's economy is 10.7 times the size of South Africa's ($4.52 trillion vs $424.75 billion GDP).
Comparing India and South Africa: South Africa leads on Oil Consumption (553,000) against India (3.18); South Africa leads on Oil Imports (521,400) against India (3.06); South Africa leads on Refined Petroleum Products Consumption (621,000) against India (4.52). Across 174 compared metrics, India wins on 86 and South Africa wins on 79.
- Communications: 8 metrics compared
- Economy: 69 metrics compared
- Environment: 10 metrics compared
- Geography: 7 metrics compared
- Government: 9 metrics compared
- Health: 23 metrics compared
- Military and Security: 2 metrics compared
- People and Society: 39 metrics compared
- Transportation: 5 metrics compared
- Travel and Tourism: 1 metric compared
- Other: 1 metric compared
Communications
8 metrics| Metric | š®š³ India | šæš¦ South Africa | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet Penetration Rate (%) | 64.94 % | 78.36 %ā | |
| Internet Usage Rate by Country (% of Population) | 55.9 % | 75.46 %ā | |
| Internet Users | percent of population: 56% (2022 est.) | percent of population: 76% (2023 est.) | |
| Mobile Internet Speed | 3.15 Mbps | 5.35 Mbpsā | |
| Press Freedom Index Score | 32.96 points | 75.71 pointsā | |
| Radios | 116ā | 17 | |
| Televisions | 63ā | 6 | |
| Waterways | 16,180 | NA |
Economy
69 metricsEnvironment
10 metrics| Metric | š®š³ India | šæš¦ South Africa | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual COā Emissions Growth (abs) | 130.72M | 3.23Mā | |
| Average Annual Temperature | 24.23 Ā°Cā | 18.35 Ā°C | |
| Carbon Dioxide Emissions | 2.82ā | 446.7 | |
| Continental Shelf | edge of continental margin or 200 nm; | 200 | |
| Global Precipitation Distribution | 1,404.35 mmā | 652.17 mm | |
| Population Distribution | a very high population density exists throughout most of the country, with the notable exception of the deserts in the northwest and the mountain fringe in the north; the core of the population is in the north along the banks of the Ganges, with other riv | 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 | 7.76 sq km | 9.88 sq kmā | |
| Total Renewable Groundwater Resources by Country | 432 Cubic meters per yearā | 4.8 Cubic meters per year | |
| Total Renewable Water Resources | 1.91 | 51.35ā | |
| Total Threatened Mammal Species | 99 species | 33 speciesā |
Geography
7 metrics| Metric | š®š³ India | šæš¦ South Africa | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of land area by degree of urbanization | 21.46 %ā | 1.94 % | |
| Above-Ground Biomass in Forest (tonnes/ha) | 68.7 | 85.66ā | |
| Agricultural land | 1.78M sq. kmā | 963,410 sq. km | |
| Airports per 1,000 Sq Km | 2.97Mā | 1.21M | |
| Coastline Length (km) | 7,000 kmā | 2,798 km | |
| Dam capacity per capita | 167.04 cubic meters per inhabitant | 464.7 cubic meters per inhabitantā | |
| Irrigated Land | 754,562ā | 16,700 |
Government
9 metrics| Metric | š®š³ India | šæš¦ South Africa | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rule of Law Index by Country | 59.13 % | 61.59 %ā | |
| Administrative Divisions | 28ā | 9 | |
| Corruption Perception Index | 38 indexā | 41 index | |
| Corruption Perceptions Index Score | 38 index | 41 indexā | |
| Independence | 15 | 31ā | |
| LGBT Rights Index Score | 2.07 | 10.94ā | |
| Prison Population Rate | 35 per 100,000ā | 259 per 100,000 | |
| Public Sector Corruption Perception | 38ā | 41 | |
| Suffrage Participation Rate | 18 | 18 |
Health
23 metricsMilitary and Security
2 metrics| Metric | š®š³ India | šæš¦ South Africa | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Military Expenditure (% of GDP) | 2.3 % | 0.74 %ā | |
| Total Armed Forces Personnel (PPP) | 3.07Mā | 89,000 |
People and Society
39 metrics| Metric | š®š³ India | šæš¦ South Africa | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Currently married (Percent) | 71.87 %ā | 33.25 % | |
| Human Capital Index | 0.52ā | 0.42 | |
| Life expectancy at birth | 76.09 yearsā | 71.98 years | |
| Median age of population | 29.19 yearsā | 29 years | |
| Population Change | 14.13M personsā | 673,269.7 persons | |
| Population density | 496.42 per sq. km | 53.74 per sq. kmā | |
| Total population | 1.48B personsā | 65.49M persons | |
| Academic Freedom Index | 0.14 | 0.83ā | |
| Average Female Breast Size by Country: Worldwide Data & Rankings | A | A | |
| Birth Rate (%) | 15.91 % | 17.21 %ā | |
| Contraceptive Prevalence Rate | 66.7 %ā | 54.6 % | |
| Crude Birth Rate | 15.98 per 1,000 people | 18.48 per 1,000 peopleā | |
| Death Rate (%) | 8.7 % | 6.56 %ā | |
| Education Expenditure (% of GDP) | 4.1 % of GDP | 6 % of GDPā | |
| Female population of reproductive age | 389.10M personsā | 18.20M persons | |
| Female Tertiary Enrollment Rate (%) | 35.24 %ā | 29.84 % | |
| Fixed Broadband Penetration Rate | 3.15 % | 5.35 %ā | |
| Global Average Sex Ratio at Birth | 107.28 male/femaleā | 103.52 male/female | |
| Human Development Index | 0.35 | 0.48ā | |
| Labor Force Participation Rate | 607.69ā | 27.77 | |
| Learning-adjusted years of school | 9.6 yearsā | 4.88 years | |
| Length of paid parental leave for mother | 0 days | 0 days | |
| Major Urban Areas Population | 32.94 peopleā | 10.32 people | |
| Mean Male Height (cm) | 164.95 | 166.68ā | |
| Military Manpower at Military Age | 17 | 18ā | |
| Military Service Age and Obligation | ages vary by branch of service and positions, but generally 17-27 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (2025) note 1: in 2022, the Indian Government began recruiting men aged 17.5-21 annually to serve on 4-year co | 18 | |
| Old-Age Dependency Ratio | 10.17 % | 9.65 %ā | |
| Percentage of population by degree of urbanization | 84.2 %ā | 79.63 % | |
| Physician Density | 0.72 people/sq km | 0.79 people/sq kmā | |
| Population Growth Rate | 0.72 % | 1.06 %ā | |
| Population living in slums | 5.41 % | 23.64 %ā | |
| Primary School Pupil-Teacher Ratio | 31.49 | 30.33ā | |
| Total deaths | 8.28M persons | 540,582.7 personsā | |
| Total demand for family planning (Percent) | 57.51 % | 62.02 %ā | |
| Total fertility rate | 1.93 per woman | 2.17 per womanā | |
| Total net-migration | -632,939 persons | 39,599.6 personsā | |
| Under-five mortality rate | 26.01 per live birthsā | 28.89 per live births | |
| Urban Population Annual Growth Rate | 1.76 %ā | 1.34 % | |
| Voting Age Population | 64.25 millionsā | 39.64 millions |
Transportation
5 metrics| Metric | š®š³ India | šæš¦ South Africa | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Travel Trips Per Capita (PPP) | 0.14 | 0.37ā | |
| Airports | 315 | 573ā | |
| Annual Human Space Visits (Total) | 0 | 0 | |
| Civil Air Travel | 93ā | 90 | |
| Heliports | 289ā | 49 |
Travel and Tourism
1 metric| Metric | š®š³ India | šæš¦ South Africa | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tourism Receipts per Capita | 37.02B USDā | 6.72B USD |
Other
1 metric| Metric | š®š³ India | šæš¦ South Africa | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current Bank Rate | 5.25 % | 7 %ā |
Frequently Asked Questions About India vs South Africa
Which has a larger population, India or South Africa?ā¾
India. India has 22.6 times as many people as South Africa (1.48 billion vs 65.49 million). Data for 2026.
Which has a bigger economy, India or South Africa?ā¾
India. India's economy is 10.7 times the size of South Africa's ($4.52 trillion vs $424.75 billion GDP). Data for 2026.
Which is richer per person, India or South Africa?ā¾
South Africa is richer per person: GDP per capita is about $6,486 in South Africa vs $3,063 in India (2026 GDP in current US dollars divided by population).