Saint Helena vs South Africa: Compare Statistics
Side-by-side comparison of 71 key metrics across economy, population, geography, and more — latest data through 2026.
Summary
South Africa has 12,702 times as many people as Saint Helena (65.49 million vs 5,156).
Comparing Saint Helena and South Africa: South Africa leads on Female population of reproductive age (18.20 million persons) against Saint Helena (900.75 persons); South Africa leads on Population Change (673,270 persons) against Saint Helena (-41.90 persons); South Africa leads on Total net-migration (39,600 persons) against Saint Helena (2.80 persons). Across 71 compared metrics, Saint Helena wins on 17 and South Africa wins on 36.
- Communications: 4 metrics compared
- Economy: 30 metrics compared
- Environment: 4 metrics compared
- Geography: 3 metrics compared
- Government: 3 metrics compared
- Health: 4 metrics compared
- People and Society: 21 metrics compared
- Transportation: 2 metrics compared
Communications
4 metrics| Metric | 🇸🇭 Saint Helena | 🇿🇦 South Africa | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet Users | percent of population: 37.6% (2021 est.) | percent of population: 76% (2023 est.) | |
| Radios | 3,000★ | 17 | |
| Televisions | 2,000★ | 6 | |
| Waterways | none | NA |
Economy
30 metricsEnvironment
4 metrics| Metric | 🇸🇭 Saint Helena | 🇿🇦 South Africa | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual CO₂ Emissions Growth (abs) | 421★ | 3.23M | |
| Average Annual Temperature | 21.37 °C★ | 18.35 °C | |
| Carbon Dioxide Emissions | 12,000 | 446.7★ | |
| Population Distribution | Saint Helena: population is concentrated in and around the capital of Jamestown in the northwest, with another significant cluster in the interior Longwood area Ascension: most of the population lives in and around Georgetown Tristan da Cunha: most of the | 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 |
Geography
3 metrics| Metric | 🇸🇭 Saint Helena | 🇿🇦 South Africa | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of land area by degree of urbanization | 0 % | 1.94 %★ | |
| Coastline Length (km) | Saint Helena: 60 km Ascension Island: NA Tristan da Cunha (island only): 34 km | 2,798 km | |
| Irrigated Land | 0 | 16,700★ |
Government
3 metrics| Metric | 🇸🇭 Saint Helena | 🇿🇦 South Africa | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative Divisions | 3 | 9★ | |
| Independence | none (overseas territory of the UK) | 31 | |
| Suffrage Participation Rate | 18 | 18 |
Health
4 metrics| Metric | 🇸🇭 Saint Helena | 🇿🇦 South Africa | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access to Safe Drinking Water | 98.39 %★ | 68.01 % | |
| HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate | NA | 18.3 % | |
| People Living With HIV/AIDS | NA | 7.8 | |
| Underweight Children Under 5 | NA | 5.5 |
People and Society
21 metrics| Metric | 🇸🇭 Saint Helena | 🇿🇦 South Africa | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 80.95 years★ | 71.98 years | |
| Median age of population | 51.18 years★ | 29 years | |
| Population Change | -41.9 persons | 673,269.7 persons★ | |
| Population density | 13.19 per sq. km★ | 53.74 per sq. km | |
| Total population | 5,155.5 persons | 65.49M persons★ | |
| Birth Rate (%) | 9.31 % | 17.21 %★ | |
| Contraceptive Prevalence Rate | NA | 54.6 % | |
| Death Rate (%) | 8.55 % | 6.56 %★ | |
| Education Expenditure (% of GDP) | NA | 6.6 % of GDP | |
| Female population of reproductive age | 900.75 persons | 18.20M persons★ | |
| Global Average Sex Ratio at Birth | 105.26 male/female★ | 103.52 male/female | |
| Labor Force Participation Rate | 2,486★ | 22.4 | |
| Major Urban Areas Population | 1,000 people★ | 10.32 people | |
| Old-Age Dependency Ratio | 44 % | 9.65 %★ | |
| Percentage of population by degree of urbanization | 0 % | 79.63 %★ | |
| Physician Density | NA | 0.79 people/sq km | |
| Population Growth Rate | 0.08 % | 1.06 %★ | |
| Total deaths | 89.9 persons★ | 540,582.7 persons | |
| Total fertility rate | 1.64 per woman | 2.17 per woman★ | |
| Total net-migration | 2.8 persons | 39,599.6 persons★ | |
| Under-five mortality rate | 13.29 per live births★ | 28.89 per live births |
Transportation
2 metricsFrequently Asked Questions About Saint Helena vs South Africa
Which has a larger population, Saint Helena or South Africa?▾
South Africa. South Africa has 12,702 times as many people as Saint Helena (65.49 million vs 5,156). Data for 2026.