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South Africa vs Yemen: Compare Statistics

Side-by-side comparison of 163 key metrics across economy, population, geography, and more — latest data through 2026.

South Africa
zaf
Leads on 106 of 163 metrics
Yemen
yem
Leads on 44 of 163 metrics

Summary

South Africa has 52% more people than Yemen (65.49 million vs 42.96 million).

Comparing South Africa and Yemen: Yemen leads on Televisions (470,000) against South Africa (6); South Africa leads on People Living With HIV/AIDS (7.80) against Yemen (11,000); South Africa leads on Malaria Incidence Rate (0.11 cases per 1,000) against Yemen (52.17 cases per 1,000). Across 163 compared metrics, South Africa wins on 106 and Yemen wins on 44.

  • Communications: 9 metrics compared
  • Economy: 58 metrics compared
  • Environment: 12 metrics compared
  • Geography: 7 metrics compared
  • Government: 9 metrics compared
  • Health: 22 metrics compared
  • Military and Security: 3 metrics compared
  • People and Society: 38 metrics compared
  • Transportation: 4 metrics compared
  • Travel and Tourism: 1 metric compared

Communications

9 metrics
Metric🇿🇦 South Africa🇾🇪 YemenShare
Fixed Broadband Penetration3.12 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants★1.27 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
Internet Penetration Rate (%)69.7 %★17.49 %
Internet Usage Rate by Country (% of Population)72.11 %★13.82 %
Internet Userspercent of population: 76% (2023 est.)percent of population: 14% (2020 est.)
Mobile Internet Speed3.12 Mbps★1.27 Mbps
Press Freedom Index Score75.71 points★31.45 points
Radios17★1.05
Televisions6470,000★
WaterwaysNAnone

Economy

58 metrics
Metric🇿🇦 South Africa🇾🇪 YemenShare
Agriculture Value Added as a Share of GDP by Country14.21B $★-1.36B $
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by Country in Current US Dollars424.75B $★-25.76B $
AI Investment (% of GDP)16.17 %★6.18 %
Apple Import Volume48,832 tonnes2.43M tonnes★
Bank Account Ownership Rate70.32 %★6.45 %
Central Bank Discount Rate (%)5.75 %NA
Coal Revenue2.4★0
Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate (%)10.38 %30 %★
Current Health Expenditure (% of GDP)8.3 % of GDP★5.6 % of GDP
Ease of Doing Business Index59.6★0
Electricity Consumption207.1★3.68
Electricity Exports16.55★0
Electricity from Fossil Fuels85★79
Electricity from Hydroelectric Plants1★0
Electricity from Nuclear Fuels4★0
Electricity from Other Renewables1021★
Electricity Imports10.56★0
Electricity Installed Capacity50.02★1.82
Electricity Production234.5★4.78
Energy Consumption per Capita (USD)86.2 USD per capita★2.99 USD per capita
Female Labor Force Participation Rate55.4 %★4.85 %
Gender Pay Gap Percentage16.75 %★5.06 %
Gender Wage Gap16.75 %5.06 %★
Gini Index Coefficient63★36.7
Gross Fixed Investment19.5★17.8
Gross National Saving16.1★-1.9
High-Tech Export Percentage45.27 %★0.25 %
Industrial Production Growth Rate (%)-0.4 %★-1.1 %
Inflation Rate6.13 %★8.1 %
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)4.4 %★29.1 %
Military Expenditures (% of GDP)0.7 % of GDPprior to the start of the civil war in 2014, annual military expenditures were approximately 4-5% of Yemen's GDP
Natural Gas Consumption5.07481.4★
Natural Gas Exports00
Natural Gas Imports4.16★0
Natural Gas Production906.1★481.4
Natural Gas Proved Reserves0478.5★
Oil Consumption553,000★157,000
Oil Exports54,930207,700★
Oil Imports521,400★64,610
Oil Production192,100258,800★
Oil Proved Reserves15★3
Population Below Poverty Line55.5 people48.6 people★
Private Investment (% of GDP)13.07 % of GDP★5.35 % of GDP
Public Debt76.268.1★
Real GDP Growth Rate (USD)0.6 USD0.8 USD★
Real Interest Rate Trends2.51 %11.79 %★
Refined Petroleum Products Consumption621,000★104,000
Refined Petroleum Products Exports105,600★12,670
Refined Petroleum Products Imports195,200★75,940
Refined Petroleum Products Production487,100★20,180
Remittances0.220.05★
Share of population in poverty ($3 a day)31.21★33.3
Taxes and Other Revenues26.11★9
Top Exporting Countries111.43B USD★1.89B USD
Top FDI Inflows (% of GDP)1.37 %★-1.31 %
Unemployment Rate33.2 %17.1 %★
Youth Labor Force Participation Rate55.58 %33.1 %★
Youth Unemployment Rate59.93 %32.6 %★

Environment

12 metrics
Metric🇿🇦 South Africa🇾🇪 YemenShare
Annual CO₂ Emissions Growth (abs)3.23M-18,079★
Annual Forest Area Change Rate87,566.02 %★0 %
Average Annual Temperature18.35 °C26.29 °C★
Carbon Dioxide Emissions446.78.19★
Continental Shelf200200
Global Precipitation Distribution652.17 mm★105.96 mm
Population Distributionthe 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 mapthe vast majority of the population is found in the Asir Mountains (part of the larger Sarawat Mountain system), located in the far western region of the country
Protected Land Area for Adaptation9.88 sq km★1.19 sq km
Protected Land Area Percentage9.6 %★1.1 %
Total Renewable Groundwater Resources by Country4.8 Cubic meters per year★1.5 Cubic meters per year
Total Renewable Water Resources51.35★2.1
Total Threatened Mammal Species33 species12 species★

Geography

7 metrics
Metric🇿🇦 South Africa🇾🇪 YemenShare
Percentage of land area by degree of urbanization1.94 %2.38 %★
Above-Ground Biomass in Forest (tonnes/ha)85.66★13.99
Agricultural land963,410 sq. km★234,520 sq. km
Airports per 1,000 Sq Km1.21M★527,970
Coastline Length (km)2,798 km★1,906 km
Dam capacity per capita464.7 cubic meters per inhabitant★10.62 cubic meters per inhabitant
Irrigated Land16,700★6,800

Government

9 metrics
Metric🇿🇦 South Africa🇾🇪 YemenShare
Rule of Law Index by Country61.59 %★1.01 %
Administrative Divisions922★
Corruption Perception Index41 index13 index★
Corruption Perceptions Index Score41 index★13 index
Independence31★22
LGBT Rights Index Score10.94★-2.57
Prison Population Rate318 per 100,00049 per 100,000★
Public Sector Corruption Perception4113★
Suffrage Participation Rate1818

Health

22 metrics
Metric🇿🇦 South Africa🇾🇪 YemenShare
Average BMI for Adults25 kg/m²★23.6 kg/m²
Change in Measles Immunization Rate76 %★41 %
Diabetes Prevalence (% of Population)7.2★5.5
Female Life Expectancy Leaders66.31 years69.44 years★
Global Stillbirth Rate Trends1.87 per 1,000 births★2.08 per 1,000 births
Health Care Spending per Capita1,541.18 USD★123.37 USD
Health Coverage Index Score74 score★43 score
Health Expenditure (% of GDP)8.3 % of GDP★4.3 % of GDP
Highest Male Life Expectancy66.31 years69.44 years★
HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate18.3 %(2021 est.) <0.1%
Hospital Bed Density2.3 people/sq km★0.7 people/sq km
Hospital Beds per Capita2.25 beds per 1,000★0.6 beds per 1,000
Malaria Incidence Rate0.11 cases per 1,000★52.17 cases per 1,000
Maternal Mortality Ratio (%)118 %118 %
Mean Age at First Birth22.5★19.2
Nurses and Midwives Density6.39 per 1,000 people★0.69 per 1,000 people
Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate (%)28.3 %17.1 %★
Out-of-Pocket Health Spending6.69 %★69.13 %
People Living With HIV/AIDS7.8★11,000
Psychiatrist Density Per 100,000 People2 per 100,000 people★0 per 100,000 people
Total Number of Doctors0.79★0.17
Underweight Children Under 54.9★40.7

Military and Security

3 metrics
Metric🇿🇦 South Africa🇾🇪 YemenShare
Active Military Personnel74,000 personnel★40,000 personnel
Military Expenditure (% of GDP)1.02 %★3.97 %
Total Armed Forces Personnel (PPP)89,000★40,000

People and Society

38 metrics
Metric🇿🇦 South Africa🇾🇪 YemenShare
Currently married (Percent)33.25 %63.72 %★
Human Capital Index0.42★0.37
Life expectancy at birth71.98 years72.72 years★
Median age of population29 years★18.41 years
Population Change673,269.7 persons1.26M persons★
Population density53.74 per sq. km★81.27 per sq. km
Total population65.49M persons★42.96M persons
Academic Freedom Index0.83★0.24
Beer Consumption per Capita3.65 liters★0 liters
Birth Rate (%)17.21 %29.07 %★
Contraceptive Prevalence Rate54.6 %★33.5 %
Crude Birth Rate18.48 per 1,000 people34.36 per 1,000 people★
Death Rate (%)6.56 %6.21 %★
Education Expenditure (% of GDP)6.6 % of GDPNA
Female population of reproductive age18.20M persons★10.54M persons
Fixed Broadband Penetration Rate3.12 %★1.27 %
Global Average Sex Ratio at Birth103.52 male/female105.33 male/female★
Human Development Index0.48★0.14
Labor Force Participation Rate27.77★7.85
Learning-adjusted years of school4.88 years★4.27 years
Length of paid parental leave for mother0 days0 days
Major Urban Areas Population10.32 people★3.29 people
Mean Male Height (cm)166.68★159.89
Mean Years of Schooling10.47 years★5.56 years
Military Manpower at Military Age18★14
Military Service Age and Obligation18limited available information; 18 is the legal minimum age for military service under the Yemeni Government (2025) note: there is widespread recruitment of fighters by numerous armed groups operating in Yemen; all parties to the civil war have been implic
Old-Age Dependency Ratio9.65 %4.46 %★
Percentage of population by degree of urbanization79.63 %84.53 %★
Physician Density0.79 people/sq km★0.1 people/sq km
Population Growth Rate1.06 %2.22 %★
Population living in slums23.64 %43.37 %★
Primary School Pupil-Teacher Ratio32.9430.25★
Total deaths540,582.7 persons181,722.7 persons★
Total demand for family planning (Percent)62.02 %★45.18 %
Total fertility rate2.17 per woman4.4 per woman★
Total net-migration39,599.6 persons★14,223.6 persons
Under-five mortality rate28.89 per live births★36.47 per live births
Urban Population Annual Growth Rate1.34 %3.5 %★

Transportation

4 metrics
Metric🇿🇦 South Africa🇾🇪 YemenShare
Air Travel Trips Per Capita (PPP)0.37★0
Airports573★37
Civil Air Travel90★11
Heliports49★6

Travel and Tourism

1 metric
Metric🇿🇦 South Africa🇾🇪 YemenShare
Tourism Receipts per Capita8.81B USD★116.00M USD

Frequently Asked Questions About South Africa vs Yemen

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

South Africa. South Africa has 52% more people than Yemen (65.49 million vs 42.96 million). Data for 2026.

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