Canada vs South Africa
Canada vs South Africa: Learning-adjusted schooling
Learning-adjusted schooling in 2020: 11.7 years in Canada and 5.6 years in South Africa, by World Bank estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Canada, by 6.1 years, or 2.09 times that in South Africa.
years · World Bank
What the numbers say
- Canada has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2010.
Every year
years · World Bank
| Year | Canada | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 11.7 | 5.6 |
| 2018 | 11.8 | 5.6 |
| 2017 | 11.7 | 5.1 |
| 2010 | 11.4 | 6.2 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The years of school a child can expect by 18, cut to what students actually learn: the World Bank’s learning-adjusted years of school.
- Source: World Bank Human Capital Index, via Our World in Data.
- Ranks count the 174 countries with a value in 2020, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Canada vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyCanada: 82.6 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityCanada: 0.5 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityCanada: 4.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionCanada: 3.99% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateCanada: 10.9 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationCanada: 39.3 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthCanada: 1.22% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateCanada: 1.35 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationCanada: 82.9% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageCanada: 40.3 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overCanada: 19.4% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateCanada: 11 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingCanada: 1.63% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsCanada: $37.5B in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personCanada: $939 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingCanada: 3.7% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelCanada: 72,000 people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerCanada: 0.81% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersCanada: 0.35% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsCanada: 83 million TIV in 2025South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsCanada: 312 million TIV in 2025South Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025