Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Korea instead of Mexico, you would:
Health
live 8.4 years longer
In Mexico, the average life expectancy is 75 years (72 years for men, 78 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 77.6% less likely to be obese
In Mexico, 37.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Korea, that number is 8.4% of people as of 2024.
see 3.7 times more spent on your healthcare
Mexico spends $1,368 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Korea spends $5,081 as of 2024.
have 18.7% more access to essential health services
Mexico scores 75 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
Mexico has a suicide rate of 7.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Korea, it is 27.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 2.6 times more money
Mexico has a GDP per capita of $13,889 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 Mexico, 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 81.0% less likely to die during infancy
In Mexico, approximately 12.1 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 69.6% fewer children
In Mexico, there are approximately 15.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Korea, there are 4.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 17.8% more likely to have internet access
In Mexico, approximately 83.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Korea, about 97.9% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 33.3% more on education
Mexico spends 4.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. South Korea spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 57.8% more on healthcare
Mexico spends 5.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Korea, that number is 8.7% of GDP as of 2024.
Geography
see 74.1% less coastline
Mexico has a total of 9,330 km of coastline. In South Korea, that number is 2,413 km.
Safety
be 98.1% less likely to be murdered
Mexico has a homicide rate of 24.9 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In South Korea, that number is 0.5 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 66.5% more likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Mexico, 39% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2022. In South Korea, that number is 64% as of 2021.
be 42.5% less likely to die in a road accident
In Mexico, road accidents kill 12.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Korea, they kill 6.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 2.2 times more home broadband
Mexico has 21.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Korea has 47.8 as of 2024.
use 4.3 times more electricity
Mexico uses 2,658 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. South Korea uses 11,350 kWh as of 2024.
live with 89.6% more strain on fresh water
Mexico withdraws 45% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Korea withdraws 85% as of 2022.
Environment
be 36.7% less likely to die from air pollution
In Mexico, air pollution causes 30.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Korea, it causes 19.0 as of 2019.
emit 3.1 times more CO2
Mexico emits 3.6 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 (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Mexico vs. South Korea
South Korea: At a glance
How big is South Korea compared to Mexico? See an in-depth size comparison.