Quality of life comparison
If you lived in North Korea instead of Ethiopia, you would:
Health
live 3.5 years longer
In Ethiopia, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022. In North Korea, that number is 72 years (68 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2022.
be 51.1% more likely to be obese
In Ethiopia, 4.5% of adults are obese as of 2016. In North Korea, that number is 6.8% of people as of 2016.
Economy
make 26.1% less money
Ethiopia has a GDP per capita of $2,300 as of 2020, while in North Korea, the GDP per capita is $1,700 as of 2015.
be 46.3% more likely to be unemployed
In Ethiopia, 17.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2012. In North Korea, that number is 25.6% as of 2013.
Life
be 77.8% less likely to die during childbirth
In Ethiopia, approximately 401.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In North Korea, 89.0 women do as of 2017.
be 93.1% more likely to be literate
In Ethiopia, the literacy rate is 51.8% as of 2017. In North Korea, it is 100.0% as of 2015.
be 33.7% less likely to die during infancy
In Ethiopia, approximately 33.5 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In North Korea, on the other hand, 22.2 children do as of 2022.
have 53.4% fewer children
In Ethiopia, there are approximately 30.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In North Korea, there are 14.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022.
Basic Needs
be 23.7% more likely to have access to improved drinking water
In Ethiopia, approximately 76% of people have improved drinking water access (98% in urban areas, and 70% in rural areas) as of 2020. In North Korea, that number is 94% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 89% in rural areas) as of 2020.
be 44.7% less likely to have access to electricity
In Ethiopia, approximately 47% of people have electricity access (96% in urban areas, and 34% in rural areas) as of 2019. In North Korea, that number is 26% of people on average (36% in urban areas, and 11% in rural areas) as of 2019.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.
North Korea: At a glance
How big is North Korea compared to Ethiopia? See an in-depth size comparison.