South Africa vs Switzerland
South Africa vs Switzerland: Internet users
Internet users: 78.4% in South Africa in 2024 and 97.3% in Switzerland in 2025, by ITU estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Switzerland, by 19 percentage points, or 1.24 times that in South Africa.
% of people · ITU
What the numbers say
- Switzerland has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1990.
- In 2024, South Africa ranked 102 and Switzerland ranked 15 of 182 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 71.2% in 2024.
Every year
% of people · ITU
| Year | South Africa | Switzerland | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | – | 97.3 | 73.6 |
| 2024 | 78.4 | 97.3 | 71.2 |
| 2023 | 78.3 | 97.3 | 69.2 |
| 2022 | 78.3 | 96.5 | 67 |
| 2021 | 75 | 95.6 | 63.8 |
| 2020 | 72.1 | 94.4 | 60.1 |
| 2019 | 69.7 | 93.2 | 53.9 |
| 2018 | 62.4 | 91.8 | 49.4 |
| 2017 | 56.2 | 89.7 | 46.3 |
| 2016 | 54 | 89.1 | 43.6 |
| 2015 | 51.9 | 87.5 | 39.9 |
| 2014 | 49 | 83.6 | 37.4 |
| 2013 | 46.5 | 86.3 | 35.3 |
| 2012 | 41 | 85.2 | 33.3 |
| 2011 | 34 | 85.2 | 30.9 |
| 2010 | 24 | 83.9 | 28.4 |
| 2009 | 10 | 81.3 | 25.3 |
| 2008 | 8.4 | 79.2 | 22.8 |
| 2007 | 8.1 | 77.2 | 20.2 |
| 2006 | 7.6 | 75.7 | 17.2 |
| 2005 | 7.5 | 70.1 | 15.6 |
| 2004 | 8.4 | 67.8 | – |
| 2003 | 7 | 65.1 | – |
| 2002 | 6.7 | 61.4 | – |
| 2001 | 6.3 | 55.1 | – |
| 2000 | 5.3 | 47.1 | – |
| 1999 | 4.1 | 34 | – |
| 1998 | 2.9 | 24.8 | – |
| 1997 | 1.6 | 15.1 | – |
| 1996 | 0.8 | 4.6 | – |
| 1995 | 0.7 | 3.6 | – |
| 1994 | 0.2 | 2.7 | – |
| 1993 | 0.1 | 2.2 | – |
| 1992 | 0 | 1.8 | – |
| 1991 | 0 | 1.2 | – |
| 1990 | 0 | 0.6 | – |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The share of people who used the internet in the last three months, from anywhere.
- Source: ITU, via the World Bank.
- Ranks count the 182 countries with a value in 2024, highest first.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
South Africa vs Switzerland
Health
- Life expectancySouth Africa: 66.1 years in 2023Switzerland: 84 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySouth Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024Switzerland: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySouth Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023Switzerland: 3.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionSouth Africa: 3.75% in 2017Switzerland: 3.71% in 2017
- Suicide rateSouth Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017Switzerland: 9.3 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSouth Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023Switzerland: 8.87 million people in 2023
- Population growthSouth Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023Switzerland: 0.62% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSouth Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023Switzerland: 1.43 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSouth Africa: 63.8% in 2025Switzerland: 85.7% in 2025
- Median ageSouth Africa: 28.2 years in 2023Switzerland: 42.3 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSouth Africa: 6.5% in 2023Switzerland: 19.6% in 2023
- Net migration rateSouth Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023Switzerland: 5.1 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSouth Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025Switzerland: 0.76% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSouth Africa: $3B in 2025Switzerland: $7.15B in 2025
- Military spending per personSouth Africa: $49 in 2025Switzerland: $849 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSouth Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025Switzerland: 2.4% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSouth Africa: 89,000 people in 2020Switzerland: 20,000 people in 2020
- National powerSouth Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022Switzerland: 0.12% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSouth Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020Switzerland: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSouth Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025Switzerland: 33 million TIV in 2023
- Arms exportsSouth Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025Switzerland: 129 million TIV in 2025