Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Korea instead of Germany, you would:
Health
live 2.8 years longer
In Germany, the average life expectancy is 81 years (78 years for men, 83 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 59.4% less likely to be obese
In Germany, 20.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Korea, that number is 8.4% of people as of 2024.
see 42.4% less spent on your healthcare
Germany spends $8,826 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Korea spends $5,081 as of 2024.
have 42.4% fewer doctors per person
Germany has 45.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. South Korea has 26.1 as of 2022.
be 2.1 times more likely to die by suicide
Germany has a suicide rate of 12.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Korea, it is 27.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 27.8% less likely to be unemployed
In Germany, 3.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Korea, that number is 2.7% as of 2025.
make 40.1% less money
Germany has a GDP per capita of $60,496 as of 2025, while in South Korea, the GDP per capita is $36,227 as of 2025.
Life
be 25.8% less likely to die during infancy
In Germany, approximately 3.1 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 42.0% fewer children
In Germany, there are approximately 8.1 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 29.3% less on healthcare
Germany spends 12.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In South Korea, that number is 8.7% of GDP as of 2024.
Safety
be 47.3% less likely to be murdered
Germany has a homicide rate of 0.9 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In South Korea, that number is 0.5 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 11.1% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Germany, 72% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2020. In South Korea, that number is 64% as of 2021.
be 2.1 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Germany, road accidents kill 3.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Korea, they kill 6.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
use 85.8% more electricity
Germany uses 6,109 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. South Korea uses 11,350 kWh as of 2024.
live with 2.4 times more strain on fresh water
Germany withdraws 35% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Korea withdraws 85% as of 2022.
Environment
be 26.7% more likely to die from air pollution
In Germany, air pollution causes 15.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Korea, it causes 19.0 as of 2019.
emit 63.7% more CO2
Germany emits 6.9 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), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Germany vs. South Korea
South Korea: At a glance
How big is South Korea compared to Germany? See an in-depth size comparison.