Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Korea instead of Bolivia, you would:
Health
live 14.9 years longer
In Bolivia, the average life expectancy is 69 years (66 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024. In South Korea, that number is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024.
be 71.8% less likely to be obese
In Bolivia, 29.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Korea, that number is 8.4% of people as of 2024.
see 6.7 times more spent on your healthcare
Bolivia spends $756 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Korea spends $5,081 as of 2024.
have 2.0 times more doctors per person
Bolivia has 12.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. South Korea has 26.1 as of 2022.
have 36.9% more access to essential health services
Bolivia scores 65 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Korea scores 89 as of 2021.
be 6.6 times more likely to die by suicide
Bolivia has a suicide rate of 4.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Korea, it is 27.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 7.0 times more money
Bolivia has a GDP per capita of $5,148 as of 2025, while in South Korea, the GDP per capita is $36,227 as of 2025.
Life
be 97.3% less likely to die during childbirth
In Bolivia, approximately 146.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In South Korea, 4.0 women do as of 2023.
be 83.8% less likely to die during infancy
In Bolivia, approximately 14.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In South Korea, on the other hand, 2.3 children do as of 2024.
have 77.7% fewer children
In Bolivia, there are approximately 21.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Korea, there are 4.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 22.8% more likely to have internet access
In Bolivia, approximately 79.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Korea, about 97.9% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 28.2% less on education
Bolivia spends 7.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. South Korea spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 25.4% more on healthcare
Bolivia spends 6.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Korea, that number is 8.7% of GDP as of 2024.
Safety
be 89.1% less likely to be murdered
Bolivia has a homicide rate of 4.4 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In South Korea, that number is 0.5 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 60.8% less likely to die in a road accident
In Bolivia, road accidents kill 17.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Korea, they kill 6.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 4.0 times more home broadband
Bolivia has 12.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Korea has 47.8 as of 2024.
use 12.8 times more electricity
Bolivia uses 890 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Korea uses 11,350 kWh as of 2024.
live with 426.1 times more strain on fresh water
Bolivia withdraws 0% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Korea withdraws 85% as of 2022.
Environment
be 64.8% less likely to die from air pollution
In Bolivia, air pollution causes 54.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Korea, it causes 19.0 as of 2019.
emit 5.0 times more CO2
Bolivia emits 2.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. South Korea emits 11.4 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Bolivia vs. South Korea
South Korea: At a glance
How big is South Korea compared to Bolivia? See an in-depth size comparison.