Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in South Korea instead of Cook Islands, you would:

Health

live 6.5 years longer

In Cook Islands, the average life expectancy is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2022. In South Korea, that number is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 88.4% less likely to be obese

In Cook Islands, 72.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Korea, that number is 8.4% of people as of 2024.

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have 94.1% more doctors per person

Cook Islands has 13.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2019. South Korea has 26.1 as of 2022.

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have 93.5% more access to essential health services

Cook Islands scores 46 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Korea scores 89 as of 2021.

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Life

be 85.6% less likely to die during infancy

In Cook Islands, approximately 15.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In South Korea, on the other hand, 2.3 children do as of 2024.

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have 61.2% fewer children

In Cook Islands, 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.

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Basic Needs

be 51.1% more likely to have internet access

In Cook Islands, approximately 64.8% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In South Korea, about 97.9% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 17.6% more on education

Cook Islands spends 4.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. South Korea spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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Geography

see 20.1 times more coastline

Cook Islands has a total of 120 km of coastline. In South Korea, that number is 2,413 km.

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Safety

be 60.8% less likely to die in a road accident

In Cook Islands, 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.

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Infrastructure

find 2.6 times more home broadband

Cook Islands has 18.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. South Korea has 47.8 as of 2024.

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Sources: The World Factbook (2021–2024), World Bank (2022–2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Compare further: Cook Islands vs. South Korea

Cost of Living Comparison · 5 categories - 2026 data
South Korea is 2.3% cheaper than Cook Islands overall
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Size Comparison · See true size
Cook Islands is about 423 times smaller than South Korea.
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Moving from Cook Islands to South Korea · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
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South Korea: At a glance

South Korea (sometimes abbreviated ROK) is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 96,920 sq km. An independent kingdom for much of its long history, Korea was occupied by Japan beginning in 1905 following the Russo-Japanese War. In 1910, Tokyo formally annexed the entire Peninsula. Korea regained its independence following Japan's surrender to the United States in 1945. After World War II, a democratic-based government (Republic of Korea, ROK) was set up in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula while a communist-style government was installed in the north (Democratic People's Republic of Korea, DPRK). During the Korean War (1950-53), US troops and UN forces fought alongside ROK soldiers to defend South Korea from a DPRK invasion supported by China and the Soviet Union. A 1953 armistice split the peninsula along a demilitarized zone at about the 38th parallel. PARK Chung-hee took over leadership of the country in a 1961 coup. During his regime, from 1961 to 1979, South Korea achieved rapid economic growth, with per capita income rising to roughly 17 times the level of North Korea. South Korea held its first free presidential election under a revised democratic constitution in 1987, with former ROK Army general ROH Tae-woo winning a close race. In 1993, KIM Young-sam (1993-98) became the first civilian president of South Korea's new democratic era. President KIM Dae-jung (1998-2003) won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000 for his contributions to South Korean democracy and his "Sunshine" policy of engagement with North Korea. President PARK Geun-hye, daughter of former ROK President PARK Chung-hee, took office in February 2013 and is South Korea's first female leader. South Korea holds a non-permanent seat (2013-14) on the UN Security Council and will host the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. Serious tensions with North Korea have punctuated inter-Korean relations in recent years, including the North's attacks on a South Korean ship and island in 2010, nuclear and missile tests, and its temporary closure of the inter-Korean Kaesong Industrial Complex in 2013.
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How big is South Korea compared to Cook Islands? See an in-depth size comparison.

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