Quality of life comparison
If you lived in North Korea instead of India, you would:
Health
live 1.5 years longer
In India, the average life expectancy is 72 years (71 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024. In North Korea, that number is 74 years (72 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2024.
have 5.0 times more doctors per person
India has 7.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2020. North Korea has 36.3 as of 2017.
be 25.9% less likely to die by suicide
India has a suicide rate of 12.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In North Korea, it is 9.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 49.2% more likely to be obese
In India, 8.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In North Korea, that number is 11.9% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 16.1% less likely to be unemployed
In India, 4.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In North Korea, that number is 3.5% as of 2025.
Life
be 16.2% less likely to die during childbirth
In India, approximately 80.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In North Korea, 67.0 women do as of 2023.
be 42.9% less likely to die during infancy
In India, approximately 23.3 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In North Korea, on the other hand, 13.3 children do as of 2024.
have 19.5% fewer children
In India, there are approximately 16.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In North Korea, there are 12.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 42.2% less likely to have access to electricity
In India, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 99% in rural areas) as of 2023. In North Korea, that number is 58% of people on average (36% in urban areas, and 11% in rural areas) as of 2023.
Geography
see 64.4% less coastline
India has a total of 7,000 km of coastline. In North Korea, that number is 2,495 km.
Infrastructure
live with 58.3% less strain on fresh water
India withdraws 66% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. North Korea withdraws 28% as of 2022.
use 33.3% less electricity
India uses 1,182 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. North Korea uses 789 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 15.2% more CO2
India emits 2.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. North Korea emits 2.5 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2017–2025), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: India vs. North Korea
North Korea: At a glance
How big is North Korea compared to India? See an in-depth size comparison.