Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Korea instead of Ecuador, you would:
Health
live 6.0 years longer
In Ecuador, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 years for men, 80 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 71.1% less likely to be obese
In Ecuador, 28.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Korea, that number is 8.4% of people as of 2024.
see 4.1 times more spent on your healthcare
Ecuador spends $1,238 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Korea spends $5,081 as of 2024.
have 12.8% more doctors per person
Ecuador has 23.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2020. South Korea has 26.1 as of 2022.
have 15.6% more access to essential health services
Ecuador scores 77 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
Ecuador 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 19.0% less likely to be unemployed
In Ecuador, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Korea, that number is 2.7% as of 2025.
make 5.1 times more money
Ecuador has a GDP per capita of $7,125 as of 2025, while in South Korea, the GDP per capita is $36,227 as of 2025.
Life
be 92.7% less likely to die during childbirth
In Ecuador, approximately 55.0 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 78.9% less likely to die during infancy
In Ecuador, approximately 10.9 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 68.3% fewer children
In Ecuador, there are approximately 14.8 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 26.9% more likely to have internet access
In Ecuador, approximately 77.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Korea, about 97.9% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 46.6% more on education
Ecuador spends 3.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. South Korea spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 14.8% more on healthcare
Ecuador spends 7.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Korea, that number is 8.7% of GDP as of 2024.
Safety
be 99.0% less likely to be murdered
Ecuador has a homicide rate of 45.7 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In South Korea, that number is 0.5 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 70.5% less likely to die in a road accident
In Ecuador, road accidents kill 23.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Korea, they kill 6.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 2.8 times more home broadband
Ecuador has 17.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Korea has 47.8 as of 2024.
use 6.8 times more electricity
Ecuador uses 1,676 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Korea uses 11,350 kWh as of 2024.
live with 12.6 times more strain on fresh water
Ecuador withdraws 7% 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 Ecuador, air pollution causes 23.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Korea, it causes 19.0 as of 2019.
emit 4.3 times more CO2
Ecuador emits 2.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. South Korea emits 11.4 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Ecuador vs. South Korea
South Korea: At a glance
How big is South Korea compared to Ecuador? See an in-depth size comparison.