Country comparison
Kenya South Africa
How do Kenya and South Africa compare on area, population, economy and living standards? Every figure below comes from open data, computed at build time.
Kenya vs South Africa at a glance
- Kenya's surface area is smaller: about 49% of South Africa's (591,969 km² vs 1,219,090 km²).
- Kenya's population is smaller: about 89% of South Africa's (57.5M vs 64.7M).
- Kenya's GDP (total) is smaller: about 32% of South Africa's ($135.9B vs $427.2B).
- Kenya's GDP per capita is about 36% of South Africa's.
Kenya vs South Africa in the world: GDP per capita
GDP per capita log axis
Every dot is one country with data — the two highlighted dots are these countries; the dashed line marks the world median. Wide-range metrics use a logarithmic axis (tagged).
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KenyaSouth Africa — Kenya's GDP per capita is about 36% of South Africa's.
| Metric | Kenya | South Africa | A vs B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population & land | |||
| Population | 57.5M (2025) | 64.7M (2025) | 89% |
| Population growth | 1.9% (2025) | 1.1% (2025) | 1.7× |
| Urban population share | 32.2% (2025) | 63.8% (2025) | 50% |
| Population aged 65+ | 3.0% (2025) | 6.9% (2025) | 44% |
| Fertility rate | 3.2 (2024) | 2.2 (2024) | 1.4× |
| Birth rate | 27.0‰ (2024) | 18.5‰ (2024) | 1.5× |
| Death rate | 7.2‰ (2024) | 9.2‰ (2024) | 78% |
| Net migration | -27.3K (2025) | 146.4K (2025) | N/A |
| Surface area | 591,969 km² (2023) | 1,219,090 km² (2023) | 49% |
| Population densityderived | 97.2/km² (2025) | 53.1/km² (2025) | 1.8× |
| Economy | |||
| GDP (total) | $135.9B (2025) | $427.2B (2025) | 32% |
| GDP per capita | $2,363 (2025) | $6,598 (2025) | 36% |
| GNI per capita | $2,200 (2025) | $6,270 (2025) | 35% |
| GDP growth (annual) | 4.6% (2025) | 1.1% (2025) | 4.2× |
| Inflation rate | 4.1% (2025) | 3.2% (2025) | 1.3× |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4% (2025) | 32.4% (2025) | 17% |
| Gini index | 38.5 (2022) | 54.1 (2022) | 71% |
| Poverty rate ($2.15/day) | 45.5% (2022) | 17.4% (2022) | 2.6× |
| Trade & industry | |||
| Exports share of GDP | 15.8% (2025) | 31.4% (2025) | 50% |
| Imports share of GDP | 21.8% (2025) | 29.5% (2025) | 74% |
| Agriculture share of GDP | 23.2% (2025) | 2.8% (2025) | 8.2× |
| Manufacturing share of GDP | 7.1% (2025) | 12.3% (2025) | 58% |
| International tourist arrivals | 2M (2019) | 3.9M (2020) | 53% |
| Tourism receipts | $1.8B (2019) | $2.7B (2020) | 65% |
| Health & education | |||
| Life expectancy | 63.8 years (2024) | 66.3 years (2024) | 96% |
| Infant mortality | 34.2‰ (2024) | 24.2‰ (2024) | 1.4× |
| Under-five mortality | 38.8‰ (2024) | 35.1‰ (2024) | 1.1× |
| DPT immunization | 91.0% (2024) | 74.0% (2024) | 1.2× |
| Hospital beds | 1.3 per 1,000 (2019) | 2.3 per 1,000 (2010) | 59% |
| Health spending share of GDP | 4.4% (2023) | 8.9% (2023) | 49% |
| Secondary school enrollment | 84.3% (2023) | 104.1% (2023) | 81% |
| Education spending share of GDP | 4.0% (2024) | 6.0% (2024) | 67% |
| Society & living | |||
| Human Development Index | 0.628 (2023) | 0.741 (2023) | 85% |
| Internet users | 35.0% (2024) | 78.4% (2024) | 45% |
| Mobile subscriptions | 126.5 per 100 (2024) | 179.3 per 100 (2024) | 71% |
| Fixed broadband | 3.0 per 100 (2024) | 5.3 per 100 (2024) | 57% |
| Electricity access | 77.0% (2024) | 90.2% (2024) | 85% |
| Environment & security | |||
| CO₂ emissions per capita | 0.4 t (2024) | 6.9 t (2024) | 6% |
| CO₂ emissions (total)derived | 21.6 Mt (2024) | 440 Mt (2024) | 5% |
| Renewable electricity share | 78.1% (2021) | 6.4% (2021) | 12× |
| Renewable energy consumption | 67.7% (2021) | 9.7% (2021) | 7.0× |
| Forest area | 6.2% (2023) | 14.0% (2023) | 45% |
| Agricultural land | 49.5% (2023) | 79.4% (2023) | 62% |
| Arable land | 11.4% (2023) | 9.9% (2023) | 1.2× |
| PM2.5 exposure | 20.3 µg/m³ (2023) | 27.7 µg/m³ (2023) | 73% |
| Military spending | 1.0% (2024) | 0.7% (2024) | 1.4× |
Population density is our own derived metric: latest population ÷ the displayed surface area (World Bank surface-area figures where available) — so it can differ from the World Bank's own land-area-based density.
Kenya
- Capital
- Nairobi
- Languages
- English, Swahili
- Currencies
- KES
- Subregion
- Eastern Africa
South Africa
- Capital
- Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Pretoria
- Languages
- Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu
- Currencies
- ZAR
- Subregion
- Southern Africa
Kenya vs South Africa in five metrics
Full metric comparison
| Metric | Kenya | South Africa | A vs B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population & land | |||
| Population | 57.5M (2025) | 64.7M (2025) | 89% |
| Population growth | 1.9% (2025) | 1.1% (2025) | 1.7× |
| Urban population share | 32.2% (2025) | 63.8% (2025) | 50% |
| Population aged 65+ | 3.0% (2025) | 6.9% (2025) | 44% |
| Fertility rate | 3.2 (2024) | 2.2 (2024) | 1.4× |
| Birth rate | 27.0‰ (2024) | 18.5‰ (2024) | 1.5× |
| Death rate | 7.2‰ (2024) | 9.2‰ (2024) | 78% |
| Net migration | -27.3K (2025) | 146.4K (2025) | N/A |
| Surface area | 591,969 km² (2023) | 1,219,090 km² (2023) | 49% |
| Population density derived | 97.2/km² (2025) | 53.1/km² (2025) | 1.8× |
| Economy | |||
| GDP (total) | $135.9B (2025) | $427.2B (2025) | 32% |
| GDP per capita | $2,363 (2025) | $6,598 (2025) | 36% |
| GNI per capita | $2,200 (2025) | $6,270 (2025) | 35% |
| GDP growth (annual) | 4.6% (2025) | 1.1% (2025) | 4.2× |
| Inflation rate | 4.1% (2025) | 3.2% (2025) | 1.3× |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4% (2025) | 32.4% (2025) | 17% |
| Gini index | 38.5 (2022) | 54.1 (2022) | 71% |
| Poverty rate ($2.15/day) | 45.5% (2022) | 17.4% (2022) | 2.6× |
| Trade & industry | |||
| Exports share of GDP | 15.8% (2025) | 31.4% (2025) | 50% |
| Imports share of GDP | 21.8% (2025) | 29.5% (2025) | 74% |
| Agriculture share of GDP | 23.2% (2025) | 2.8% (2025) | 8.2× |
| Manufacturing share of GDP | 7.1% (2025) | 12.3% (2025) | 58% |
| International tourist arrivals | 2M (2019) | 3.9M (2020) | 53% |
| Tourism receipts | $1.8B (2019) | $2.7B (2020) | 65% |
| Health & education | |||
| Life expectancy | 63.8 years (2024) | 66.3 years (2024) | 96% |
| Infant mortality | 34.2‰ (2024) | 24.2‰ (2024) | 1.4× |
| Under-five mortality | 38.8‰ (2024) | 35.1‰ (2024) | 1.1× |
| DPT immunization | 91.0% (2024) | 74.0% (2024) | 1.2× |
| Hospital beds | 1.3 per 1,000 (2019) | 2.3 per 1,000 (2010) | 59% |
| Health spending share of GDP | 4.4% (2023) | 8.9% (2023) | 49% |
| Secondary school enrollment | 84.3% (2023) | 104.1% (2023) | 81% |
| Education spending share of GDP | 4.0% (2024) | 6.0% (2024) | 67% |
| Society & living | |||
| Human Development Index | 0.628 (2023) | 0.741 (2023) | 85% |
| Internet users | 35.0% (2024) | 78.4% (2024) | 45% |
| Mobile subscriptions | 126.5 per 100 (2024) | 179.3 per 100 (2024) | 71% |
| Fixed broadband | 3.0 per 100 (2024) | 5.3 per 100 (2024) | 57% |
| Electricity access | 77.0% (2024) | 90.2% (2024) | 85% |
| Environment & security | |||
| CO₂ emissions per capita | 0.4 t (2024) | 6.9 t (2024) | 6% |
| CO₂ emissions (total) derived | 21.6 Mt (2024) | 440 Mt (2024) | 5% |
| Renewable electricity share | 78.1% (2021) | 6.4% (2021) | 12× |
| Renewable energy consumption | 67.7% (2021) | 9.7% (2021) | 7.0× |
| Forest area | 6.2% (2023) | 14.0% (2023) | 45% |
| Agricultural land | 49.5% (2023) | 79.4% (2023) | 62% |
| Arable land | 11.4% (2023) | 9.9% (2023) | 1.2× |
| PM2.5 exposure | 20.3 µg/m³ (2023) | 27.7 µg/m³ (2023) | 73% |
| Military spending | 1.0% (2024) | 0.7% (2024) | 1.4× |
Population density is our own derived metric: latest population ÷ the displayed surface area (World Bank surface-area figures where available) — so it can differ from the World Bank's own land-area-based density.
Reference facts
| Metric | Kenya | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| Capital | Nairobi | Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Pretoria |
| Languages | English, Swahili | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu |
| Currencies | KES | ZAR |
| Subregion | Eastern Africa | Southern Africa |
Frequently asked questions
Which is bigger, Kenya or South Africa?
Kenya's surface area is smaller: about 49% of South Africa's (591,969 km² vs 1,219,090 km²).
Which has a larger population, Kenya or South Africa?
Kenya's population is smaller: about 89% of South Africa's (57.5M vs 64.7M).
Which economy is larger, Kenya or South Africa?
Kenya's GDP (total) is smaller: about 32% of South Africa's ($135.9B vs $427.2B).
Which has a higher GDP per capita, Kenya or South Africa?
Kenya's GDP per capita is smaller: about 36% of South Africa's ($2,363 vs $6,598).
Related tools and comparisons
Open the interactive compare tool with Kenya and South Africa preselected
See Kenya and South Africa's true size on a drag-and-drop map →
Distance between Kenya and South Africa →
Kenya country profile: key metrics vs world median →
Data & method
Indicators: World Bank Open Data, 43 indicators — CC BY 4.0 © World Bank — https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/; Surface area (sq. km) — CC BY 4.0 © World Bank — https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/; Human Development Index — CC BY 3.0 IGO © United Nations Development Programme — https://hdr.undp.org/terms-use
Boundaries: Natural Earth 1:110m (public domain); surface areas follow the World Bank AG.SRF.TOTL.K2 figures, with mledoze/countries (or a measured Natural Earth boundary, marked †) only where World Bank coverage is missing.
Reference facts (capital, languages, currencies, subregion): mledoze/countries (ODbL).