Land Area
Russia
17,098,246 km²
Largest
South Africa
1,221,037 km²
7.1% of largest
Russia is 14.00× larger than South Africa
Population
Russia
LARGEST
145.9M
PEOPLE
South Africa
40.6% OF LARGEST
59.31M
PEOPLE
Russia has 2.46× the population of South Africa
GDP
Russia
LARGEST
$2.24T
South Africa
18.7% OF LARGEST
$419.9B
Armed Forces
Active Personnel
Russia
LARGEST
900K
TROOPS
South Africa
8.2% OF LARGEST
74K
TROOPS
Russia has 12.16× the active personnel of South Africa
Air Force
Russia
LARGEST
4.17K
AIRCRAFT
South Africa
5.4% OF LARGEST
226
AIRCRAFT
Russia has 18.46× the aircraft of South Africa
Naval Assets
Russia
South Africa
Wealth
Gold Reserves
Russia
LARGEST
2,332.8
Metric Tonnes
South Africa
5.4% OF LARGEST
125.4
Metric Tonnes
Foreign-Exchange Reserves
Russia
LARGEST
$413B
Reserves · excl. gold
South Africa
13.3% OF LARGEST
$55B
Reserves · excl. gold
Billionaires
Russia
MOST
120
billionaires
South Africa
4% OF MOST
5
billionaires
Oil
Proven Reserves
Russia
LARGEST
80
Billion barrels
Production & Consumption
Russia
NET EXPORTER
Production
10.8M b/d
Consumption
3.7M b/d
+7.1M b/d net
South Africa
NET IMPORTER
Production
0.0M b/d
Consumption
0.6M b/d
−0.6M b/d net
Trade (Import/Export)
Russia
$476.4B
Exports
$476.4B
Imports
$382.4B
Trade Balance
+$94.0B
Trade Surplus
South Africa
$127.5B
Exports
$127.5B
Imports
$119.8B
Trade Balance
+$7.8B
Trade Surplus
Drinks per Person
Coffee
kg / person / yr
Russia
consumption
South Africa
consumption
Tea
kg / person / yr
Russia
consumption
South Africa
consumption
Beer
litres / person / yr
South Africa
consumption
Russia
consumption
Wine
litres / person / yr
Russia
consumption
South Africa
consumption
Alcohol
litres pure alcohol / person / yr
Russia
consumption
South Africa
consumption
Smoking
% of adults 15+ who smoke
Russia
South Africa
Per-capita — consumption where available, else FAOSTAT supply · alcohol = litres of pure alcohol; smoking = % of adults 15+ (WHO)
Olympic Medals
Russia
192
Gold
164
Silver
184
Bronze
540
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 422
❄ Winter: 118
South Africa
28
Gold
37
Silver
32
Bronze
97
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 97
❄ Winter: 0
Religious Demographics
Religious Distribution
Religious Composition by Country
Russia
South Africa
Age Demographics
Median Age
Russia
39.2
YEARS
10
30
50
70
South Africa
28.1
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Age Distribution
Population breakdown by age bracket (percentage)
Demographic Insights
Age Gap
Russia is 11.1 years older (median) than South Africa
Youth Population
South Africa has the highest youth population at 58.0% (under 30)
Elderly Population
Russia has the highest elderly population at 22% (60+)
Global Statistics
| Metric |
Russia
|
South Africa
|
|---|---|---|
| Travel & Mobility | ||
| Passport Power visa-free destinations |
119
|
106
|
| Tourist Arrivals per year |
24.4M
|
8.5M
|
| Culture & Prestige | ||
| Nobel Laureates all-time |
32
|
11
|
| 3-Michelin-Star Restaurants current guide |
0
|
0
|
Figures as of 2026. Sources: IMF, EIA/OPEC, Henley Passport Index, UNWTO, Forbes, Michelin Guide, Nobel Foundation.
Cost of Living
|
Metric
All indices use New York City as base (100)
Lower values indicate lower costs.
|
Russia
|
South Africa
|
|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index |
|
|
| Rent Index |
|
|
| Groceries Index |
|
|
| Restaurant Price Index |
|
|
| Local Purchasing Power |
|
|
| Common Expenses Comparison | ||
| Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant (USD) | $8 | $8 |
| Three-Course Meal for 2 (USD) | $35 | $30 |
| Monthly Rent - City Center (USD) | $600 | $500 |
| Monthly Rent - Outside Center (USD) | $400 | $350 |
| Monthly Utilities (USD) | $85 | $80 |
| Internet (60 Mbps, USD) | $12 | $45 |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (USD) | $25 | $35 |
Historical Data
Basic Information
| Metric | Russia | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 145900000 | 59308000 |
| Area (sq km) | 17098246 | 1221037 |
| Capital | Moscow | Pretoria (administrative), Cape Town (legislative), Bloemfontein (judicial) |
| Official Language | Russian | 11 official languages including English, Afrikaans, Zulu |
| Currency | Russian Ruble (RUB) | South African Rand (ZAR) |
| Government Type | Federal semi-presidential republic | Unitary parliamentary constitutional republic |
Military Strength
| Metric | Russia | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| Active Personnel | 900,000 | 74,000 |
| Reserve Personnel | 2,000,000 | 15,000 |
| Total Military Personnel | 3,350,000 | 89,000 |
| Defense Budget (USD) | $154,000,000,000 | $3,500,000,000 |
| Tanks | 12,420 | 195 |
| Armored Vehicles | 30,122 | 2,265 |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | 6,574 | 43 |
| Towed Artillery | 7,571 | 97 |
| Rocket Projectors | 3,391 | 50 |
Economy
| Metric | Russia | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $2,240,400,000,000 | $419,900,000,000 |
| GDP Per Capita (USD) | $15,357 | $7,080 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 4.9% | 32.6% |
| GINI Index (Income Inequality) | 37.5 | 63.0 |
| Currency | Russian Ruble (RUB) | South African Rand (ZAR) |
| Direct Currency Comparison (1 unit of row currency equals X units of column currency) | ||
| Russia Currency | 1.00 (Same) | 4.5558 Stronger |
| South Africa Currency | 0.2195 Weaker | 1.00 (Same) |
| USD Base Exchange Rates (All calculations use USD as the base currency) | ||
| Currency | RUB | ZAR |
| 1 USD equals | 75.1676 RUB Updated: 2026-06-27 | 16.4995 ZAR Updated: 2026-06-27 |
Interesting Comparisons & Trivia
Did You Know?
Russia is 14.0 times larger in area than South Africa.
That's a massive difference!
Russia has 2.5 times more people than South Africa.
Russia has the highest GDP per capita at $15,357 among the selected countries.
Russia has the largest economy with a GDP of
$2.24 trillion.
Russia has the largest active military personnel with 900,000 troops.
Russia has the largest air force with 4,173 aircraft.
Russia has the largest navy with 605 vessels.
Russia Fact: Russia spans 11 time zones, more than any other country in the world.
Russia vs South Africa: Key Comparisons
Economy: Russia's GDP of $2.2T is 5.3x larger than South Africa's $420B — both among the world's largest economies.
Population: Russia's population of 146M is 2.5x larger than South Africa's 59M.
Area: Russia covers 17,098,246 km², making it 14.0x larger than South Africa.
Military: Russia fields 900Thousand active troops vs South Africa's 74Thousand.
Trade: Russia runs a trade surplus of $94B while South Africa runs a trade surplus of $8B.
Life Expectancy: Russia leads with a life expectancy of 73 years vs South Africa's 65.
Data compiled from World Bank, IMF, Global Firepower, SIPRI, Numbeo, and Pew Research.
Last updated June 2026.
Sources & methodology