World Bank · 14 metrics compared
Nigeria vs South Africa
Nigeria and South Africa compared across 14 demographic and economic metrics. South Africa leads in 6 of the comparable categories.
4
Nigeria wins
6
South Africa wins
| Metric | Nigeria | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 227,882,945 | 63,212,384 |
| GDP Per Capita | $2,139 | $6,034 |
| Life Expectancy | 54.5 | 66.1 |
| Population Growth Rate | 2.10 | 1.33 |
| Urban Population | 62.2% | 63.6% |
| Fertility Rate | 4.48 | 2.22 |
| Infant Mortality (per 1000) | 70.1 | 24.3 |
| Literacy Rate | 63.2% | 90.0% |
| Unemployment Rate | 3.1% | 32.1% |
| Internet Users | 39.1% | 78.3% |
| CO2 Per Capita (tonnes) | - | - |
| Physicians Per 1000 | 0.38 | 0.79 |
| Gini Index | 33.9 | 54.1 |
| Forest Area | 23.2% | 14.0% |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Nigeria has a population of 227,882,945 compared to South Africa's 63,212,384.
Across the metrics compared, Nigeria leads in 4 categories while South Africa leads in 6. However, "better" depends on what matters most to you, income, cost of living, education, climate, and personal preferences all play a role.
International data from the World Bank Open Data API. Population and economic data are latest available estimates.
Comparison based on World Bank Open Data. Most recent available year used for each metric. Green highlighting indicates favorable values where applicable.
The side-by-side above pulls the the U.S. Census Bureau ACS and decennial files data for both Nigeria and South Africa. What follows is the interpretation — which specific axes carry the most weight for Nigeria versus South Africa, and which differences are large enough to influence a real decision.
For households or analysts using this comparison as a decision input, the right framing is usually not "which is better" in aggregate but "which is better for the specific decision in front of you." the U.S. Census Bureau ACS and decennial files captures the raw data; the framing depends on whether the question is investment, residency, planning, or research.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, 2026.