Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Korea instead of Kazakhstan, you would:
Health
live 9.1 years longer
In Kazakhstan, the average life expectancy is 75 years (70 years for men, 79 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 60.3% less likely to be obese
In Kazakhstan, 21.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Korea, that number is 8.4% of people as of 2024.
see 3.5 times more spent on your healthcare
Kazakhstan spends $1,460 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Korea spends $5,081 as of 2024.
have 11.2% more access to essential health services
Kazakhstan scores 80 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Korea scores 89 as of 2021.
have 30.5% fewer doctors per person
Kazakhstan has 37.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. South Korea has 26.1 as of 2022.
be 88.6% more likely to die by suicide
Kazakhstan has a suicide rate of 14.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Korea, it is 27.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 43.8% less likely to be unemployed
In Kazakhstan, 4.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Korea, that number is 2.7% as of 2025.
make 2.5 times more money
Kazakhstan has a GDP per capita of $14,692 as of 2025, while in South Korea, the GDP per capita is $36,227 as of 2025.
Life
be 60.0% less likely to die during childbirth
In Kazakhstan, approximately 10.0 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 68.9% less likely to die during infancy
In Kazakhstan, approximately 7.4 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 75.9% fewer children
In Kazakhstan, there are approximately 19.5 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 11.3% more on education
Kazakhstan spends 4.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. South Korea spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 2.3 times more on healthcare
Kazakhstan spends 3.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Korea, that number is 8.7% of GDP as of 2024.
Safety
be 81.2% less likely to be murdered
Kazakhstan has a homicide rate of 2.5 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In South Korea, that number is 0.5 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 43.4% less likely to die in a road accident
In Kazakhstan, road accidents kill 12.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Korea, they kill 6.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 3.1 times more home broadband
Kazakhstan has 15.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Korea has 47.8 as of 2024.
use 2.2 times more electricity
Kazakhstan uses 5,146 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Korea uses 11,350 kWh as of 2024.
live with 2.5 times more strain on fresh water
Kazakhstan withdraws 35% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Korea withdraws 85% as of 2022.
Environment
be 72.1% less likely to die from air pollution
In Kazakhstan, air pollution causes 68.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Korea, it causes 19.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Kazakhstan vs. South Korea
South Korea: At a glance
How big is South Korea compared to Kazakhstan? See an in-depth size comparison.