Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Korea instead of China, you would:
Health
live 5.6 years longer
In China, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 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.
see 3.4 times more spent on your healthcare
China spends $1,487 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Korea spends $5,081 as of 2024.
have 16.1% fewer doctors per person
China has 31.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. South Korea has 26.1 as of 2022.
be 3.1 times more likely to die by suicide
China has a suicide rate of 8.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Korea, it is 27.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 42.0% less likely to be unemployed
In China, 4.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Korea, that number is 2.7% as of 2025.
make 2.6 times more money
China has a GDP per capita of $13,862 as of 2025, while in South Korea, the GDP per capita is $36,227 as of 2025.
Life
be 75.0% less likely to die during childbirth
In China, approximately 16.0 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 43.9% less likely to die during infancy
In China, approximately 4.1 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 30.6% fewer children
In China, there are approximately 6.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Korea, there are 4.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 38.7% more on education
China spends 3.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. South Korea spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 46.1% more on healthcare
China spends 5.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Korea, that number is 8.7% of GDP as of 2024.
Geography
see 83.4% less coastline
China has a total of 14,500 km of coastline. In South Korea, that number is 2,413 km.
Safety
be 60.3% less likely to die in a road accident
In China, road accidents kill 17.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Korea, they kill 6.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 29.9% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In China, 91% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2020. In South Korea, that number is 64% as of 2021.
Infrastructure
use 74.0% more electricity
China uses 6,524 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Korea uses 11,350 kWh as of 2024.
live with 2.1 times more strain on fresh water
China withdraws 42% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Korea withdraws 85% as of 2022.
Environment
be 70.3% less likely to die from air pollution
In China, air pollution causes 64.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Korea, it causes 19.0 as of 2019.
emit 21.9% more CO2
China emits 9.3 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. How we calculate this
Compare further: China vs. South Korea
South Korea: At a glance
How big is South Korea compared to China? See an in-depth size comparison.