Quality of life comparison
If you lived in North Korea instead of Cambodia, you would:
Health
live 2.9 years longer
In Cambodia, the average life expectancy is 71 years (68 years for men, 73 years for women) as of 2024. In North Korea, that number is 74 years (72 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2024.
have 17.2 times more doctors per person
Cambodia has 2.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2019. North Korea has 36.3 as of 2017.
have 17.2% more access to essential health services
Cambodia scores 58 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. North Korea scores 68 as of 2021.
be 2.4 times more likely to be obese
In Cambodia, 4.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In North Korea, that number is 11.9% of people as of 2024.
be 2.1 times more likely to die by suicide
Cambodia has a suicide rate of 4.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In North Korea, it is 9.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 13.6 times more likely to be unemployed
In Cambodia, 0.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In North Korea, that number is 3.5% as of 2025.
Life
be 51.1% less likely to die during childbirth
In Cambodia, approximately 137.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In North Korea, 67.0 women do as of 2023.
be 18.9% less likely to die during infancy
In Cambodia, approximately 16.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In North Korea, on the other hand, 13.3 children do as of 2024.
have 36.7% fewer children
In Cambodia, there are approximately 20.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In North Korea, there are 12.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 13.3% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Cambodia, approximately 83% of people have access to drinking water (94% in urban areas, and 79% in rural areas) as of 2024. In North Korea, that number is 94% of people on average (97% in urban areas, and 89% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 39.5% less likely to have access to electricity
In Cambodia, approximately 95% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 93% in rural areas) as of 2023. In North Korea, that number is 58% of people on average (36% in urban areas, and 11% in rural areas) as of 2023.
Geography
see 5.6 times more coastline
Cambodia has a total of 443 km of coastline. In North Korea, that number is 2,495 km.
Infrastructure
live with 26.7 times more strain on fresh water
Cambodia withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. North Korea withdraws 28% as of 2022.
use 15.4% less electricity
Cambodia uses 932 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. North Korea uses 789 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 43.3% more likely to die from air pollution
In Cambodia, air pollution causes 60.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In North Korea, it causes 86.0 as of 2019.
emit 2.3 times more CO2
Cambodia emits 1.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. North Korea emits 2.5 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2017–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Cambodia vs. North Korea
North Korea: At a glance
How big is North Korea compared to Cambodia? See an in-depth size comparison.