Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Korea instead of Nepal, you would:
Health
live 13.0 years longer
In Nepal, the average life expectancy is 71 years (69 years for men, 72 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.
see 15.3 times more spent on your healthcare
Nepal spends $332 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Korea spends $5,081 as of 2024.
have 2.6 times more doctors per person
Nepal has 10.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. South Korea has 26.1 as of 2022.
have 64.8% more access to essential health services
Nepal scores 54 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Korea scores 89 as of 2021.
be 2.7 times more likely to die by suicide
Nepal has a suicide rate of 10.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Korea, it is 27.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 74.4% less likely to be unemployed
In Nepal, 10.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Korea, that number is 2.7% as of 2025.
make 23.6 times more money
Nepal has a GDP per capita of $1,536 as of 2025, while in South Korea, the GDP per capita is $36,227 as of 2025.
Life
be 97.2% less likely to die during childbirth
In Nepal, approximately 142.0 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 37.6% more likely to be literate
In Nepal, the literacy rate is 71.2% as of 2021. In South Korea, it is 98.0% as of 2019.
be 89.6% less likely to die during infancy
In Nepal, approximately 22.2 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 75.2% fewer children
In Nepal, there are approximately 19.0 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 2.1 times more likely to have internet access
In Nepal, approximately 46.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Korea, about 97.9% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 46.6% more on education
Nepal spends 3.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. South Korea spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 40.9% more on healthcare
Nepal spends 6.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Korea, that number is 8.7% of GDP as of 2024.
Safety
be 77.5% less likely to be murdered
Nepal has a homicide rate of 2.1 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In South Korea, that number is 0.5 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 75.5% less likely to die in a road accident
In Nepal, road accidents kill 28.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Korea, they kill 6.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 4.7 times more home broadband
Nepal has 10.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Korea has 47.8 as of 2024.
use 32.3 times more electricity
Nepal uses 351 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Korea uses 11,350 kWh as of 2024.
live with 10.3 times more strain on fresh water
Nepal withdraws 8% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Korea withdraws 85% as of 2022.
Environment
be 75.0% less likely to die from air pollution
In Nepal, air pollution causes 76.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Korea, it causes 19.0 as of 2019.
emit 21.0 times more CO2
Nepal emits 0.5 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), The World Factbook (2019–2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Nepal vs. South Korea
South Korea: At a glance
How big is South Korea compared to Nepal? See an in-depth size comparison.