Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Algeria instead of North Korea, you would:

Health

live 2.7 years longer

In North Korea, the average life expectancy is 74 years (72 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2024. In Algeria, that number is 76 years (75 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 76.6% less likely to die by suicide

North Korea has a suicide rate of 9.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Algeria, it is 2.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 97.2% more likely to be obese

In North Korea, 11.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Algeria, that number is 23.6% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

be 3.3 times more likely to be unemployed

In North Korea, 3.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Algeria, that number is 11.6% as of 2025.

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Life

have 46.5% more children

In North Korea, there are approximately 12.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Algeria, there are 18.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 18.6% less likely to be literate

In North Korea, the literacy rate is 100.0% as of 2015. In Algeria, it is 81.4% as of 2018.

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be 46.6% more likely to die during infancy

In North Korea, approximately 13.3 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Algeria, on the other hand, 19.5 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 73.9% more likely to have access to electricity

In North Korea, approximately 58% of people have electricity access (36% in urban areas, and 11% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Algeria, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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Geography

see 60.0% less coastline

North Korea has a total of 2,495 km of coastline. In Algeria, that number is 998 km.

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Infrastructure

use 2.3 times more electricity

North Korea uses 789 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Algeria uses 1,828 kWh as of 2023.

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live with 5.2 times more strain on fresh water

North Korea withdraws 28% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Algeria withdraws 145% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 44.2% less likely to die from air pollution

In North Korea, air pollution causes 86.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Algeria, it causes 48.0 as of 2019.

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emit 59.2% more CO2

North Korea emits 2.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Algeria emits 4.0 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), The World Factbook (2015–2018), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019). How we calculate this

Compare further: North Korea vs. Algeria

Cost of Living Comparison · 4 categories - 2026 data
Algeria is 36.6% cheaper than North Korea overall
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Size Comparison · See true size
North Korea is about 20 times smaller than Algeria.
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Moving from North Korea to Algeria · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
→

Algeria: At a glance

Algeria is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 2,381,740 sq km. After more than a century of rule by France, Algerians fought through much of the 1950s to achieve independence in 1962. Algeria's primary political party, the National Liberation Front (FLN), was established in 1954 as part of the struggle for independence and has largely dominated politics since. The Government of Algeria in 1988 instituted a multi-party system in response to public unrest, but the surprising first round success of the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) in the December 1991 balloting led the Algerian army to intervene and postpone the second round of elections to prevent what the secular elite feared would be an extremist-led government from assuming power. The army began a crackdown on the FIS that spurred FIS supporters to begin attacking government targets. Fighting escalated into an insurgency, which saw intense violence from 1992-98, resulting in over 100,000 deaths - many attributed to indiscriminate massacres of villagers by extremists. The government gained the upper hand by the late-1990s, and FIS's armed wing, the Islamic Salvation Army, disbanded in January 2000. Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA, with the backing of the military, won the presidency in 1999 in an election widely viewed as fraudulent. He was reelected to a second term in 2004 and overwhelmingly won a third term in 2009, after the government amended the constitution in 2008 to remove presidential term limits. Longstanding problems continue to face BOUTEFLIKA, including large-scale unemployment, a shortage of housing, unreliable electrical and water supplies, government inefficiencies and corruption, and the continuing activities of extremist militants. The Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) in 2006 merged with al-Qa'ida to form al-Qa'ida in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb, which has launched an ongoing series of kidnappings and bombings targeting the Algerian Government and Western interests. The government in 2011 introduced some political reforms in response to the Arab Spring, including lifting the 19-year-old state of emergency restrictions and increasing women's quotas for elected assemblies. Parliamentary elections in May 2012 and municipal and provincial elections in November 2012 saw continued dominance by the FLN, with Islamist opposition parties performing poorly. Political protest activity in the country remained low in 2013, but small, sometimes violent socioeconomic demonstrations by disparate groups continued to be a common occurrence. Parliament in 2014 is expected to revise the constitution.
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