NGN
…
ZAR
…
Land Area
South Africa
1,221,037 km²
Largest
Nigeria
923,768 km²
75.7% of largest
South Africa is 1.32× larger than Nigeria
Population
Nigeria
LARGEST
237.53M
PEOPLE
South Africa
27.3% OF LARGEST
64.75M
PEOPLE
Nigeria has 3.67× the population of South Africa
GDP
South Africa
LARGEST
$427.18B
Nigeria
68.1% OF LARGEST
$290.79B
Armed Forces
Active Personnel
Nigeria
LARGEST
120K
TROOPS
South Africa
61.7% OF LARGEST
74K
TROOPS
Nigeria has 1.62× the active personnel of South Africa
Air Force
South Africa
LARGEST
226
AIRCRAFT
Nigeria
61.1% OF LARGEST
138
AIRCRAFT
South Africa has 1.64× the aircraft of Nigeria
Naval Assets
Nigeria
South Africa
Wealth
Gold Reserves
South Africa
LARGEST
125.4
Metric Tonnes
Nigeria
17.1% OF LARGEST
21.4
Metric Tonnes
Foreign-Exchange Reserves
South Africa
LARGEST
$55B
Reserves · excl. gold
Nigeria
70.9% OF LARGEST
$39B
Reserves · excl. gold
Billionaires
South Africa
MOST
5
billionaires
Nigeria
—
Oil
Production & Consumption
South Africa
NET IMPORTER
Production
0.0M b/d
Consumption
0.6M b/d
−0.6M b/d net
Trade (Import/Export)
Nigeria
$0.4B
Exports
$0.4B
Imports
$0.7B
Trade Balance
$-0.3B
Trade Deficit
South Africa
$127.5B
Exports
$127.5B
Imports
$119.8B
Trade Balance
+$7.8B
Trade Surplus
Drinks per Person
Coffee
kg / person / yr
South Africa
consumption
Nigeria
supply
Tea
kg / person / yr
South Africa
consumption
Nigeria
supply
Beer
litres / person / yr
South Africa
consumption
Nigeria
supply
Wine
litres / person / yr
South Africa
consumption
Nigeria
supply
Alcohol
litres pure alcohol / person / yr
South Africa
consumption
Nigeria
consumption
Smoking
% of adults 15+ who smoke
South Africa
Nigeria
Per-capita — consumption where available, else FAOSTAT supply · alcohol = litres of pure alcohol; smoking = % of adults 15+ (WHO)
Olympic Medals
South Africa
28
Gold
37
Silver
32
Bronze
97
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 97
❄ Winter: 0
Nigeria
3
Gold
11
Silver
13
Bronze
27
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 27
❄ Winter: 0
Religious Demographics
Religious Distribution
Religious Composition by Country
Nigeria
South Africa
Age Demographics
Median Age
South Africa
28.1
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Nigeria
18.6
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Age Distribution
Population breakdown by age bracket (percentage)
Demographic Insights
Age Gap
South Africa is 9.5 years older (median) than Nigeria
Youth Population
Nigeria has the highest youth population at 73% (under 30)
Elderly Population
South Africa has the highest elderly population at 6.9% (60+)
Global Statistics
| Metric |
Nigeria
|
South Africa
|
|---|---|---|
| Travel & Mobility | ||
| Passport Power visa-free destinations | — |
106
|
| Tourist Arrivals per year | — |
8.5M
|
| Culture & Prestige | ||
| Nobel Laureates all-time |
1
|
11
|
| UNESCO Heritage Sites inscribed sites |
2
|
12
|
Figures as of 2026. Sources: IMF, EIA/OPEC, Henley Passport Index, UNWTO, Forbes, Michelin Guide, Nobel Foundation, UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
Cost of Living
|
Metric
All indices use New York City as base (100)
Lower values indicate lower costs.
|
Nigeria
|
South Africa
|
|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index | N/A |
|
| Rent Index | N/A |
|
| Groceries Index | N/A |
|
| Restaurant Price Index | N/A |
|
| Local Purchasing Power | N/A |
|
| Common Expenses Comparison | ||
| Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant (USD) | N/A | $8 |
| Three-Course Meal for 2 (USD) | N/A | $30 |
| Monthly Rent - City Center (USD) | N/A | $500 |
| Monthly Rent - Outside Center (USD) | N/A | $350 |
| Monthly Utilities (USD) | N/A | $80 |
| Internet (60 Mbps, USD) | N/A | $45 |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (USD) | N/A | $35 |
Health
Healthcare spending, capacity and outcomes. Sources: World Bank / WHO — the year tag shows each figure’s vintage; “—” means the country doesn’t report that metric.
Health spending / person
South Africa
Nigeria
Physicians per 1,000
South Africa
Nigeria
Hospital beds per 1,000
South Africa
Nigeria
Diabetes prevalence
South Africa
Nigeria
Obesity prevalence
South Africa
Nigeria
Suicide rate per 100k
South Africa
Nigeria
Want the long view?
GDP, population, reserves & trade for Nigeria vs South Africa — charted over the decades.
Basic Information
| Metric | Nigeria | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 237527782 | 64747319 |
| Area (sq km) | 923768 | 1221037 |
| Capital | Abuja | Pretoria (administrative), Cape Town (legislative), Bloemfontein (judicial) |
| Official Language | English | 11 official languages including English, Afrikaans, Zulu |
| Currency | Nigerian Naira (NGN) | South African Rand (ZAR) |
| Government Type | Federal presidential republic | Unitary parliamentary constitutional republic |
Military Strength
| Metric | Nigeria | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| Active Personnel | 120,000 | 74,000 |
| Reserve Personnel | 0 | 15,000 |
| Total Military Personnel | 120,000 | 89,000 |
| Defense Budget (USD) | $2,300,000,000 | $3,500,000,000 |
| Tanks | 339 | 195 |
| Armored Vehicles | 1,420 | 2,265 |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | 25 | 43 |
| Towed Artillery | 339 | 97 |
| Rocket Projectors | 30 | 50 |
Economy
| Metric | Nigeria | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $290,794,361,542 | $427,184,325,997 |
| GDP Per Capita (USD) | $1,224 | $6,598 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 3.1% | 32.4% |
| GINI Index (Income Inequality) | 33.9 | 54.1 |
| Currency | Nigerian Naira (NGN) | South African Rand (ZAR) |
| Loading current exchange rates… | ||
Interesting Comparisons & Trivia
Did You Know?
South Africa is 1.3 times larger in area than Nigeria.
Nigeria has 3.7 times more people than South Africa.
South Africa has the highest GDP per capita at $6,598 among the selected countries.
South Africa has the largest economy with a GDP of
$427.18 billion.
Nigeria has the largest active military personnel with 120,000 troops.
South Africa has the largest air force with 226 aircraft.
Nigeria has the largest navy with 75 vessels.
Nigeria vs South Africa: Key Comparisons
Economy: South Africa's GDP of $427B is 1.5x larger than Nigeria's $291B — both among the world's largest economies.
Population: Nigeria's population of 238M is 3.7x larger than South Africa's 65M.
Area: South Africa covers 1,221,037 km², making it 1.3x larger than Nigeria.
Military: Nigeria fields 120Thousand active troops vs South Africa's 74Thousand.
Trade: Nigeria has a trade deficit of $0B while South Africa runs a trade surplus of $8B.
Life Expectancy: South Africa leads with a life expectancy of 66 years vs Nigeria's 55.
Data compiled from World Bank, IMF, Global Firepower, SIPRI, Numbeo, and Pew Research.
Last updated August 2026.
Sources & methodology