Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

have 16.2% more access to essential health services

North Korea scores 68 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Belarus scores 79 as of 2021.

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be 72.7% more likely to be obese

In North Korea, 11.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Belarus, that number is 20.6% of people as of 2024.

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be 67.7% more likely to die by suicide

North Korea has a suicide rate of 9.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Belarus, it is 15.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Life

be 98.5% less likely to die during childbirth

In North Korea, approximately 67.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Belarus, 1.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 86.5% less 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 Belarus, on the other hand, 1.8 children do as of 2024.

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have 45.3% fewer children

In North Korea, there are approximately 12.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Belarus, there are 7.0 babies per 1,000 people 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 Belarus, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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Infrastructure

live with 83.2% less strain on fresh water

North Korea withdraws 28% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Belarus withdraws 5% as of 2022.

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use 5.3 times more electricity

North Korea uses 789 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Belarus uses 4,198 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

be 20.9% less likely to die from air pollution

In North Korea, air pollution causes 86.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Belarus, it causes 68.0 as of 2019.

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emit 2.4 times more CO2

North Korea emits 2.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Belarus emits 5.9 tonnes as of 2024.

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

Compare further: North Korea vs. Belarus

Cost of Living Comparison · 4 categories - 2026 data
Belarus is 30.4% more expensive than North Korea overall
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Size Comparison · See true size
North Korea is about 1.7 times smaller than Belarus.
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Moving from North Korea to Belarus · UN DESA 2020
58 people born in North Korea live in Belarus.
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Belarus: At a glance

Belarus is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 202,900 sq km. After seven decades as a constituent republic of the USSR, Belarus attained its independence in 1991. It has retained closer political and economic ties to Russia than have any of the other former Soviet republics. Belarus and Russia signed a treaty on a two-state union on 8 December 1999 envisioning greater political and economic integration. Although Belarus agreed to a framework to carry out the accord, serious implementation has yet to take place. Since his election in July 1994 as the country's first directly elected president, Aleksandr LUKASHENKO has steadily consolidated his power through authoritarian means and a centralized economic system. Government restrictions on freedom of speech and the press, peaceful assembly, and religion remain in place.
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How big is Belarus compared to North Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.

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