Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Korea instead of Brazil, you would:
Health
live 7.6 years longer
In Brazil, the average life expectancy is 76 years (73 years for men, 79 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 72.2% less likely to be obese
In Brazil, 30.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Korea, that number is 8.4% of people as of 2024.
see 2.5 times more spent on your healthcare
Brazil spends $2,070 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Korea spends $5,081 as of 2024.
have 10.7% more doctors per person
Brazil has 23.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. South Korea has 26.1 as of 2022.
have 11.2% more access to essential health services
Brazil scores 80 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Korea scores 89 as of 2021.
be 3.6 times more likely to die by suicide
Brazil has a suicide rate of 7.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Korea, it is 27.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 55.1% less likely to be unemployed
In Brazil, 6.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Korea, that number is 2.7% as of 2025.
make 3.4 times more money
Brazil has a GDP per capita of $10,713 as of 2025, while in South Korea, the GDP per capita is $36,227 as of 2025.
be 3.4 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Brazil, 4.2% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In South Korea, however, that number is 14.4% as of 2016.
Life
be 94.0% less likely to die during childbirth
In Brazil, approximately 67.0 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 81.3% less likely to die during infancy
In Brazil, approximately 12.3 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 61.3% fewer children
In Brazil, there are approximately 12.1 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 15.9% more likely to have internet access
In Brazil, approximately 84.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Korea, about 97.9% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 10.8% less on healthcare
Brazil spends 9.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Korea, that number is 8.7% of GDP as of 2024.
Geography
see 67.8% less coastline
Brazil has a total of 7,491 km of coastline. In South Korea, that number is 2,413 km.
Safety
be 97.5% less likely to be murdered
Brazil has a homicide rate of 19.3 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In South Korea, that number is 0.5 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 32.7% more likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Brazil, 48% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2021. In South Korea, that number is 64% as of 2021.
be 56.1% less likely to die in a road accident
In Brazil, road accidents kill 15.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Korea, they kill 6.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 98.5% more home broadband
Brazil has 24.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Korea has 47.8 as of 2024.
use 3.7 times more electricity
Brazil uses 3,068 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. South Korea uses 11,350 kWh as of 2024.
live with 56.8 times more strain on fresh water
Brazil withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Korea withdraws 85% as of 2022.
Environment
be 17.4% less likely to die from air pollution
In Brazil, air pollution causes 23.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Korea, it causes 19.0 as of 2019.
emit 4.9 times more CO2
Brazil 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), The World Factbook (2016), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Brazil vs. South Korea
South Korea: At a glance
How big is South Korea compared to Brazil? See an in-depth size comparison.