Montenegro vs South Africa: Compare Statistics

Side-by-side comparison of 159 key metrics across economy, population, geography, and more — latest data through 2026.

Summary

South Africa has 104 times as many people as Montenegro (65.49 million vs 626,980). South Africa's economy is 42.0 times the size of Montenegro's ($424.75 billion vs $10.11 billion GDP).

Comparing Montenegro and South Africa: Montenegro leads on Electricity Installed Capacity (890,000) against South Africa (50.02); Montenegro leads on Major Urban Areas Population (177,000 people) against South Africa (10.32 people); Montenegro leads on Labor Force Participation Rate (245,300) against South Africa (27.77). Across 159 compared metrics, Montenegro wins on 77 and South Africa wins on 72.

  • Communications: 6 metrics compared
  • Economy: 60 metrics compared
  • Environment: 9 metrics compared
  • Geography: 7 metrics compared
  • Government: 9 metrics compared
  • Health: 24 metrics compared
  • Military and Security: 3 metrics compared
  • People and Society: 37 metrics compared
  • Transportation: 3 metrics compared
  • Travel and Tourism: 1 metric compared

Communications

6 metrics
Metric🇲🇪 Montenegro🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Fixed Broadband Penetration32.31 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants★5.35 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
Internet Penetration Rate (%)88.88 %★78.36 %
Internet Usage Rate by Country (% of Population)89.81 %★75.66 %
Internet Userspercent of population: 90% (2023 est.)percent of population: 76% (2023 est.)
Mobile Internet Speed32.31 Mbps★5.35 Mbps
Press Freedom Index Score72.83 points75.71 points★

Economy

60 metrics
Metric🇲🇪 Montenegro🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Agriculture Value Added as a Share of GDP by Country389.84M $14.21B $★
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by Country in Current US Dollars10.11B $424.75B $★
AI Investment (% of GDP)25.88 %★14.07 %
Apple Import Volume9.00M tonnes★48,832 tonnes
Bank Account Ownership Rate75.41 %81.13 %★
Coal Revenue0.122.4★
Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate (%)6.81 %10.38 %★
Current Health Expenditure (% of GDP)8.4 % of GDP★8.3 % of GDP
Ease of Doing Business Index86.7★59.6
Electricity Consumption2.81207.1★
Electricity Exports914★16.55
Electricity from Fossil Fuels2385★
Electricity from Hydroelectric Plants69★1
Electricity from Nuclear Fuels04★
Electricity from Other Renewables810★
Electricity Imports1.2110.56★
Electricity Installed Capacity890,000★50.02
Electricity Production3.05234.5★
Energy Consumption per Capita (USD)63.41 USD per capita86.2 USD per capita★
Female Labor Force Participation Rate65.55 %★55.4 %
Gini Index Coefficient34.363★
Gross Fixed Investment22★19.5
Gross National Saving13.216.1★
High-Tech Export Percentage34.54 %45.27 %★
Highest GDP per Capita Countries28,895.32 USD★13,592.05 USD
Industrial Production Growth Rate (%)-1.7 %-0.4 %★
Inflation Rate3.9 %3.21 %★
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)3.3 %★4.4 %
Military Expenditures (% of GDP)2 % of GDP★0.7 % of GDP
Natural Gas Consumption05.07★
Natural Gas Exports00
Natural Gas Imports04.16★
Natural Gas Production0906.1★
Natural Gas Proved Reserves00
Oil Consumption4,000553,000★
Oil Exports054,930★
Oil Imports3,149521,400★
Oil Production0192,100★
Oil Proved Reserves015★
Population Below Poverty Line21.2 people★55.5 people
Public Debt67.2★76.2
R&D Expenditure (% of GDP)0.36 %0.61 %★
Real GDP Growth Rate (USD)3 USD★0.6 USD
Real Interest Rate Trends2.2 %7.68 %★
Refined Petroleum Products Consumption6,000621,000★
Refined Petroleum Products Exports357105,600★
Refined Petroleum Products Imports6,448195,200★
Refined Petroleum Products Production0487,100★
Remittances10.6★0.2
Researchers in R&D per Million764.42 researchers★479.87 researchers
Robotics Research Funding0.36 USD0.61 USD★
Share of population in poverty ($3 a day)3.86★31.21
Taxes and Other Revenues37.2★26.11
Top Exporting Countries3.62B USD127.53B USD★
Top FDI Inflows (% of GDP)7.32 %★-0.51 %
Tourism Contribution to GDP10 %★2.9 %
Tourism Revenue (% of GDP)10 %★2.9 %
Unemployment Rate14.1 %★33.2 %
Youth Labor Force Participation Rate57.97 %55.58 %★
Youth Unemployment Rate24.44 %★59.93 %

Environment

9 metrics
Metric🇲🇪 Montenegro🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Annual CO₂ Emissions Growth (abs)-30,591★3.23M
Annual Forest Area Change Rate0 %87,566.02 %★
Average Annual Temperature10.86 °C18.35 °C★
Carbon Dioxide Emissions2.81★446.7
Global Precipitation Distribution1,525.06 mm★652.17 mm
Population Distributionhighest population density is concentrated in the south and southwest; the extreme eastern border is the least populated areathe 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 Adaptation24.48 sq km★9.88 sq km
Protected Land Area Percentage22.2 %★9.6 %
Total Threatened Mammal Species7 species★33 species

Geography

7 metrics
Metric🇲🇪 Montenegro🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Percentage of land area by degree of urbanization2.24 %★1.94 %
Above-Ground Biomass in Forest (tonnes/ha)96.87★85.66
Agricultural land2,520.38 sq. km963,410 sq. km★
Airports per 1,000 Sq Km13,4501.21M★
Coastline Length (km)293.5 km2,798 km★
Dam capacity per capita1,699.97 cubic meters per inhabitant★464.7 cubic meters per inhabitant
Irrigated Land2416,700★

Government

9 metrics
Metric🇲🇪 Montenegro🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Rule of Law Index by Country48.98 %61.59 %★
Administrative Divisions25★9
Corruption Perception Index46 index41 index★
Corruption Perceptions Index Score46 index★41 index
Independence331★
LGBT Rights Index Score4.9210.94★
Prison Population Rate176 per 100,000★259 per 100,000
Public Sector Corruption Perception4641★
Suffrage Participation Rate1818

Health

24 metrics
Metric🇲🇪 Montenegro🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Access to Safe Drinking Water85.5 %★68.01 %
Average BMI for Adults27 kg/m²★25 kg/m²
Change in Measles Immunization Rate23 %76 %★
Diabetes Deaths Per 100,000 (Age-Std)29.74★89.28
Diabetes Prevalence (% of Population)10.7★7.2
Female Life Expectancy Leaders77.89 years★66.31 years
Global Stillbirth Rate Trends0.38 per 1,000 births★1.87 per 1,000 births
Health Care Spending per Capita3,636.08 USD★1,541.18 USD
Health Coverage Index Score70 score74 score★
Health Expenditure (% of GDP)10.6 % of GDP★8.3 % of GDP
Highest Male Life Expectancy77.89 years★66.31 years
HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate(2021 est.) <0.1%18.3 %
Hospital Bed Density3.9 people/sq km★2.3 people/sq km
Hospital Beds per Capita3.9 beds per 1,000★2.25 beds per 1,000
Low Birth Weight Prevalence6.23 %★16.64 %
Maternal Mortality Ratio (%)6 %★118 %
Mean Age at First Birth26.3★22.5
Nurses and Midwives Density6.12 per 1,000 people6.39 per 1,000 people★
Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate (%)23.3 %★28.3 %
Out-of-Pocket Health Spending26.33 %6.69 %★
People Living With HIV/AIDSnote: estimate does not include children7.8
Public Health Spending (% of GDP)6.6 %★4.08 %
Total Number of Doctors2.81★0.79
Underweight Children Under 53.7★4.9

Military and Security

3 metrics
Metric🇲🇪 Montenegro🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Active Military Personnel2,000 personnel74,000 personnel★
Military Expenditure (% of GDP)1.89 %0.74 %★
Total Armed Forces Personnel (PPP)12,00089,000★

People and Society

37 metrics
Metric🇲🇪 Montenegro🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Currently married (Percent)55.82 %★33.25 %
Human Capital Index0.66★0.42
Life expectancy at birth81.92 years★71.98 years
Median age of population40.15 years★29 years
Population Change-7,096.8 persons673,269.7 persons★
Population density47 per sq. km★53.74 per sq. km
Total population626,979.5 persons65.49M persons★
Academic Freedom Index0.820.83★
Average Female Breast Size by Country: Worldwide Data & RankingsA-B★A
Beer Consumption per Capita3.19 liters3.65 liters★
Birth Rate (%)10.77 %17.21 %★
Contraceptive Prevalence Rate20.7 %54.6 %★
Crude Birth Rate11.2 per 1,000 people18.48 per 1,000 people★
Death Rate (%)10.29 %6.56 %★
Education Expenditure (% of GDP)NA6.6 % of GDP
Female population of reproductive age144,248.65 persons18.20M persons★
Female Tertiary Enrollment Rate (%)66.92 %★29.84 %
Fixed Broadband Penetration Rate32.31 %★5.35 %
Global Average Sex Ratio at Birth106.94 male/female★103.52 male/female
Labor Force Participation Rate245,300★27.77
Learning-adjusted years of school9.4 years★4.88 years
Length of paid parental leave for mother0 days0 days
Major Urban Areas Population177,000 people★10.32 people
Mean Male Height (cm)178.28★166.68
Military Service Age and Obligation1818
Old-Age Dependency Ratio27.19 %9.65 %★
Percentage of population by degree of urbanization81.97 %★79.63 %
Physician Density2.78 people/sq km★0.79 people/sq km
Population Growth Rate-0.46 %1.06 %★
Population living in slums6.32 %23.64 %★
Total deaths6,521.6 persons★540,582.7 persons
Total demand for family planning (Percent)37.6 %62.02 %★
Total fertility rate1.77 per woman2.17 per woman★
Total net-migration-7,561.8 persons39,599.6 persons★
Under-five mortality rate3.11 per live births★28.89 per live births
Urban Population Annual Growth Rate0.04 %1.34 %★
Voting Age Population61.15 millions★56.57 millions

Transportation

3 metrics
Metric🇲🇪 Montenegro🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Air Travel Trips Per Capita (PPP)2.25★0.37
Airports5573★
Heliports149★

Travel and Tourism

1 metric
Metric🇲🇪 Montenegro🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Tourism Receipts per Capita1.64B USD6.72B USD★

Frequently Asked Questions About Montenegro vs South Africa

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

South Africa. South Africa has 104 times as many people as Montenegro (65.49 million vs 626,980). Data for 2026.

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

South Africa. South Africa's economy is 42.0 times the size of Montenegro's ($424.75 billion vs $10.11 billion GDP). Data for 2026.

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

Montenegro is richer per person: GDP per capita is about $16,122 in Montenegro vs $6,486 in South Africa (2026 GDP in current US dollars divided by population).

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