South Africa vs United States
South Africa vs United States: Depression
Depression in 2017: 3.75% in South Africa and 4.84% in United States, by IHME estimates. In 2017 the value was higher in United States, by 1.09 percentage points, or 1.29 times that in South Africa.
% of people · IHME
What the numbers say
- United States has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1990.
- The world as a whole: 3.44% in 2017.
Every year
% of people · IHME
| Year | South Africa | United States | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 3.75 | 4.84 | 3.44 |
| 2016 | 3.73 | 4.81 | 3.44 |
| 2015 | 3.72 | 4.8 | 3.44 |
| 2014 | 3.71 | 4.78 | 3.44 |
| 2013 | 3.7 | 4.77 | 3.44 |
| 2012 | 3.7 | 4.77 | 3.44 |
| 2011 | 3.7 | 4.76 | 3.44 |
| 2010 | 3.7 | 4.76 | 3.44 |
| 2009 | 3.71 | 4.77 | 3.45 |
| 2008 | 3.73 | 4.78 | 3.48 |
| 2007 | 3.75 | 4.79 | 3.5 |
| 2006 | 3.76 | 4.79 | 3.52 |
| 2005 | 3.77 | 4.79 | 3.53 |
| 2004 | 3.76 | 4.79 | 3.53 |
| 2003 | 3.75 | 4.78 | 3.53 |
| 2002 | 3.73 | 4.78 | 3.53 |
| 2001 | 3.71 | 4.77 | 3.53 |
| 2000 | 3.7 | 4.77 | 3.53 |
| 1999 | 3.69 | 4.75 | 3.54 |
| 1998 | 3.7 | 4.72 | 3.54 |
| 1997 | 3.7 | 4.69 | 3.54 |
| 1996 | 3.71 | 4.66 | 3.55 |
| 1995 | 3.71 | 4.65 | 3.55 |
| 1994 | 3.72 | 4.65 | 3.55 |
| 1993 | 3.73 | 4.65 | 3.55 |
| 1992 | 3.74 | 4.65 | 3.55 |
| 1991 | 3.75 | 4.66 | 3.55 |
| 1990 | 3.76 | 4.68 | 3.54 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The share of people living with a depressive disorder, as the Global Burden of Disease study estimates it.
- Source: IHME, Global Burden of Disease, via Our World in Data.
- Ranks count the 195 countries with a value in 2017, 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 United States
Health
- Life expectancySouth Africa: 66.1 years in 2023United States: 79.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySouth Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024United States: 0.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySouth Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023United States: 5.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Suicide rateSouth Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017United States: 12.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSouth Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023United States: 344 million people in 2023
- Population growthSouth Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023United States: 0.58% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSouth Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023United States: 1.62 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSouth Africa: 63.8% in 2025United States: 80.2% in 2025
- Median ageSouth Africa: 28.2 years in 2023United States: 38 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSouth Africa: 6.5% in 2023United States: 17.4% in 2023
- Net migration rateSouth Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023United States: 3.9 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
- GDP per personSouth Africa: $5,713 in 2025United States: $67,950 in 2025
- GDP growthSouth Africa: 1.1% a year in 2025United States: 2.3% a year in 2025
- InflationSouth Africa: 3.2% a year in 2025United States: 2.7% a year in 2025
- Government debtSouth Africa: 76% of GDP in 2024United States: 124.4% of GDP in 2025
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSouth Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025United States: 3.12% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSouth Africa: $3B in 2025United States: $929B in 2025
- Military spending per personSouth Africa: $49 in 2025United States: $2,755 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSouth Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025United States: 8.3% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSouth Africa: 89,000 people in 2020United States: 1.4 million people in 2020
- National powerSouth Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022United States: 12.36% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSouth Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020United States: 0.84% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSouth Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025United States: 745 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsSouth Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025United States: 14 billion TIV in 2025