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Mongolia vs South Africa: Compare Statistics

Side-by-side comparison of 175 key metrics across economy, population, geography, and more — latest data through 2026.

Mongolia
mng
Leads on 85 of 175 metrics
South Africa
zaf
Leads on 77 of 175 metrics

Summary

South Africa has 18.4 times as many people as Mongolia (65.49 million vs 3.56 million). South Africa's economy is 15.0 times the size of Mongolia's ($424.75 billion vs $28.37 billion GDP).

Comparing Mongolia and South Africa: Mongolia leads on Televisions (168,800) against South Africa (6); Mongolia leads on Radios (155,900) against South Africa (17); South Africa leads on Total net-migration (39,600 persons) against Mongolia (104.70 persons). Across 175 compared metrics, Mongolia wins on 85 and South Africa wins on 77.

  • Communications: 9 metrics compared
  • Economy: 65 metrics compared
  • Environment: 11 metrics compared
  • Geography: 7 metrics compared
  • Government: 9 metrics compared
  • Health: 24 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🇲🇳 Mongolia🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Fixed Broadband Penetration15.78 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants★5.35 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
Internet Penetration Rate (%)85.12 %★78.36 %
Internet Usage Rate by Country (% of Population)83.02 %★75.66 %
Internet Userspercent of population: 83% (2023 est.)percent of population: 76% (2023 est.)
Mobile Internet Speed15.78 Mbps★5.35 Mbps
Press Freedom Index Score52.57 points75.71 points★
Radios155,900★17
Televisions168,800★6
Waterways400NA

Economy

65 metrics
Metric🇲🇳 Mongolia🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Agriculture Value Added as a Share of GDP by Country2.92B $14.21B $★
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by Country in Current US Dollars28.37B $424.75B $★
AI Investment (% of GDP)35.55 %★14.07 %
Bank Account Ownership Rate98.28 %★81.13 %
Central Bank Discount Rate (%)11 %★5.75 %
Coal Revenue8.62★2.4
Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate (%)20.01 %★10.38 %
Current Health Expenditure (% of GDP)3.8 % of GDP8.3 % of GDP★
Ease of Doing Business Index86.7★59.6
Electricity Consumption5.93207.1★
Electricity Exports51★16.55
Electricity from Fossil Fuels87★85
Electricity from Hydroelectric Plants2★1
Electricity from Nuclear Fuels04★
Electricity from Other Renewables11★10
Electricity Imports1.4510.56★
Electricity Installed Capacity1.1350.02★
Electricity Production5.34234.5★
Energy Consumption per Capita (USD)67.13 USD per capita86.2 USD per capita★
Female Labor Force Participation Rate55.72 %★55.4 %
Gender Pay Gap Percentage9.55 %★9.52 %
Gender Wage Gap9.55 %9.52 %★
Gini Index Coefficient31.463★
Gross Fixed Investment36.1★19.6
Gross National Saving26.9★16.1
High-Tech Export Percentage2.21 %45.27 %★
Highest GDP per Capita Countries17,772.54 USD★13,592.05 USD
Industrial Production Growth Rate (%)6.5 %★-0.4 %
Inflation Rate8.61 %3.21 %★
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)6.8 %4.4 %★
Military Expenditures (% of GDP)0.7 % of GDP0.7 % of GDP
Natural Gas Consumption05.07★
Natural Gas Exports00
Natural Gas Imports04.16★
Natural Gas Production0906.1★
Natural Gas Proved Reserves00
Oil Consumption17,000553,000★
Oil Exports5,83454,930★
Oil Imports15,730521,400★
Oil Production0192,100★
Oil Proved Reserves015★
Population Below Poverty Line27.8 people★55.5 people
Private Investment (% of GDP)29.54 % of GDP★15.64 % of GDP
Public Debt67.6★76.2
R&D Expenditure (% of GDP)0.08 %0.61 %★
Real GDP Growth Rate (USD)4.9 USD★0.6 USD
Real Interest Rate Trends1.39 %★0.6 %
Refined Petroleum Products Consumption27,000621,000★
Refined Petroleum Products Exports0105,600★
Refined Petroleum Products Imports24,190195,200★
Refined Petroleum Products Production0487,100★
Remittances2.2★0.2
Researchers in R&D per Million535.37 researchers★444.16 researchers
Robotics Research Funding0.08 USD0.61 USD★
Share of population in poverty ($3 a day)0.78★31.21
Tax Burden (% of GDP)16.85 %★25.88 %
Tax Revenue (% of GDP)16.85 % of GDP25.88 % of GDP★
Taxes and Other Revenues16.926★
Top Exporting Countries16.35B USD127.53B USD★
Top FDI Inflows (% of GDP)11.69 %★0.58 %
Tourism Contribution to GDP0.04 %2.11 %★
Tourism Revenue (% of GDP)0.04 %2.11 %★
Unemployment Rate5.5 %★33.2 %
Youth Labor Force Participation Rate59.69 %55.58 %★
Youth Unemployment Rate11.71 %★59.93 %

Environment

11 metrics
Metric🇲🇳 Mongolia🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Annual CO₂ Emissions Growth (abs)510,224★3.23M
Annual Forest Area Change Rate-1,114.06 %87,567.97 %★
Average Annual Temperature2.24 °C18.35 °C★
Carbon Dioxide Emissions19.2★446.7
Global Precipitation Distribution246.02 mm652.17 mm★
Population Distributionpopulation sparsely distributed throughout the country; the capital of Ulaanbaatar and the northern city of Darhan support the highest population densitiesthe 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 Adaptation19.8 sq km★9.88 sq km
Protected Land Area Percentage19.8 %★9.6 %
Total Renewable Groundwater Resources by Country6.1 Cubic meters per year★4.8 Cubic meters per year
Total Renewable Water Resources34.851.35★
Total Threatened Mammal Species11 species★33 species

Geography

7 metrics
Metric🇲🇳 Mongolia🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Percentage of land area by degree of urbanization0.05 %1.94 %★
Above-Ground Biomass in Forest (tonnes/ha)54.985.66★
Agricultural land1.11M sq. km★963,410 sq. km
Airports per 1,000 Sq Km1.56M★1.21M
Coastline Length (km)0 km2,798 km★
Dam capacity per capita68.59 cubic meters per inhabitant464.7 cubic meters per inhabitant★
Irrigated Land79616,700★

Government

9 metrics
Metric🇲🇳 Mongolia🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Rule of Law Index by Country44.15 %61.59 %★
Administrative Divisions21★9
Corruption Perception Index33 index★41 index
Corruption Perceptions Index Score33 index41 index★
Independence2931★
LGBT Rights Index Score4.0710.94★
Prison Population Rate110 per 100,000★286 per 100,000
Public Sector Corruption Perception33★41
Suffrage Participation Rate1818

Health

24 metrics
Metric🇲🇳 Mongolia🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Access to Safe Drinking Water43.36 %68.01 %★
Average BMI for Adults25.9 kg/m²★25 kg/m²
Change in Measles Immunization Rate96 %★76 %
Diabetes Deaths Per 100,000 (Age-Std)13.7★102.05
Diabetes Prevalence (% of Population)10.3★7.2
Female Life Expectancy Leaders72.4 years★66.31 years
Global Stillbirth Rate Trends0.44 per 1,000 births★1.87 per 1,000 births
Health Care Spending per Capita1,889.07 USD★1,541.18 USD
Health Coverage Index Score70 score74 score★
Health Expenditure (% of GDP)6.9 % of GDP8.3 % of GDP★
Highest Male Life Expectancy72.4 years★66.31 years
HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate(2021 est.) <0.1%18.3 %
Hospital Bed Density8 people/sq km★2.3 people/sq km
Hospital Beds per Capita6.6 beds per 1,000★2.25 beds per 1,000
Low Birth Weight Prevalence4.9 %★16.64 %
Maternal Mortality Ratio (%)41 %★118 %
Mean Age at First Birth21.922.5★
Nurses and Midwives Density4.22 per 1,000 people★1.2 per 1,000 people
Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate (%)20.6 %★28.3 %
Out-of-Pocket Health Spending48.8 %6.69 %★
People Living With HIV/AIDS<1,000 (2020 est.)7.8
Psychiatrist Density Per 100,000 People3 per 100,000 people★2 per 100,000 people
Total Number of Doctors4.13★0.79
Underweight Children Under 51.9★4.9

Military and Security

3 metrics
Metric🇲🇳 Mongolia🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Active Military Personnel10,000 personnel74,000 personnel★
Military Expenditure (% of GDP)0.88 %0.74 %★
Total Armed Forces Personnel (PPP)18,00089,000★

People and Society

40 metrics
Metric🇲🇳 Mongolia🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Currently married (Percent)55 %★33.25 %
Human Capital Index0.61★0.42
Life expectancy at birth78.24 years★71.98 years
Median age of population27.04 years29 years★
Population Change39,744.2 persons673,269.7 persons★
Population density2.29 per sq. km★53.74 per sq. km
Total population3.56M persons65.49M persons★
Academic Freedom Index0.670.83★
Beer Consumption per Capita2.21 liters3.65 liters★
Birth Rate (%)18.01 %★17.21 %
Contraceptive Prevalence Rate48.1 %54.6 %★
Crude Birth Rate16.9 per 1,000 people18.48 per 1,000 people★
Death Rate (%)5.35 %★6.56 %
Education Expenditure (% of GDP)3.7 % of GDP6 % of GDP★
Female population of reproductive age861,516.1 persons18.20M persons★
Female Tertiary Enrollment Rate (%)85.67 %★29.84 %
Fixed Broadband Penetration Rate15.78 %★5.35 %
Global Average Sex Ratio at Birth104.24 male/female★103.52 male/female
Human Development Index0.450.48★
Labor Force Participation Rate1.4527.77★
Learning-adjusted years of school8.59 years★4.88 years
Length of paid parental leave for mother657 days★0 days
Major Urban Areas Population1.67 people10.32 people★
Mean Male Height (cm)169.07★166.68
Mean Years of Schooling10 years10.47 years★
Military Manpower at Military Age1818
Military Service Age and Obligation1818
Old-Age Dependency Ratio7.78 %★9.65 %
Percentage of population by degree of urbanization71.21 %79.63 %★
Physician Density4.13 people/sq km★0.79 people/sq km
Population Growth Rate1.08 %★1.06 %
Population living in slums9.77 %23.64 %★
Primary School Pupil-Teacher Ratio28.22★30.33
Total deaths19,266.1 persons★540,582.7 persons
Total demand for family planning (Percent)53 %62.02 %★
Total fertility rate2.51 per woman★2.17 per woman
Total net-migration104.7 persons39,599.6 persons★
Under-five mortality rate9.69 per live births★28.89 per live births
Urban Population Annual Growth Rate1.51 %★1.34 %
Voting Age Population64.08 millions★39.64 millions

Transportation

5 metrics
Metric🇲🇳 Mongolia🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Air Travel Trips Per Capita (PPP)0.240.37★
Airports37573★
Annual Human Space Visits (Total)00
Civil Air Travel2590★
Heliports11

Travel and Tourism

1 metric
Metric🇲🇳 Mongolia🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Tourism Receipts per Capita737.00M USD6.72B USD★

Other

1 metric
Metric🇲🇳 Mongolia🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Current Bank Rate12 %★7 %

Frequently Asked Questions About Mongolia vs South Africa

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

South Africa. South Africa has 18.4 times as many people as Mongolia (65.49 million vs 3.56 million). Data for 2026.

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

South Africa. South Africa's economy is 15.0 times the size of Mongolia's ($424.75 billion vs $28.37 billion GDP). Data for 2026.

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

Mongolia is richer per person: GDP per capita is about $7,973 in Mongolia vs $6,486 in South Africa (2026 GDP in current US dollars divided by population).

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