Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Korea instead of Kyrgyzstan, you would:
Health
live 11.2 years longer
In Kyrgyzstan, the average life expectancy is 72 years (68 years for men, 77 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 62.0% less likely to be obese
In Kyrgyzstan, 22.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Korea, that number is 8.4% of people as of 2024.
see 14.6 times more spent on your healthcare
Kyrgyzstan spends $349 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Korea spends $5,081 as of 2024.
have 66.5% more doctors per person
Kyrgyzstan has 15.7 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. South Korea has 26.1 as of 2022.
have 29.0% more access to essential health services
Kyrgyzstan scores 69 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Korea scores 89 as of 2021.
be 4.0 times more likely to die by suicide
Kyrgyzstan has a suicide rate of 6.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Korea, it is 27.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 24.1% less likely to be unemployed
In Kyrgyzstan, 3.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Korea, that number is 2.7% as of 2025.
make 11.8 times more money
Kyrgyzstan has a GDP per capita of $3,081 as of 2025, while in South Korea, the GDP per capita is $36,227 as of 2025.
Life
be 90.5% less likely to die during childbirth
In Kyrgyzstan, approximately 42.0 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 84.5% less likely to die during infancy
In Kyrgyzstan, approximately 14.8 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 75.8% fewer children
In Kyrgyzstan, there are approximately 19.4 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 20.8% less on education
Kyrgyzstan spends 6.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. South Korea spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 92.9% more on healthcare
Kyrgyzstan spends 4.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Korea, that number is 8.7% of GDP as of 2024.
Safety
be 72.6% less likely to be murdered
Kyrgyzstan has a homicide rate of 1.8 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In South Korea, that number is 0.5 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 48.1% less likely to die in a road accident
In Kyrgyzstan, road accidents kill 13.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Korea, they kill 6.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 6.1 times more home broadband
Kyrgyzstan has 7.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Korea has 47.8 as of 2024.
use 5.5 times more electricity
Kyrgyzstan uses 2,069 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Korea uses 11,350 kWh as of 2024.
live with 70.3% more strain on fresh water
Kyrgyzstan withdraws 50% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Korea withdraws 85% as of 2022.
Environment
be 78.4% less likely to die from air pollution
In Kyrgyzstan, air pollution causes 88.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Korea, it causes 19.0 as of 2019.
emit 7.6 times more CO2
Kyrgyzstan emits 1.5 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: Kyrgyzstan vs. South Korea
South Korea: At a glance
How big is South Korea compared to Kyrgyzstan? See an in-depth size comparison.