Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 55.1% less likely to die by suicide

North Korea has a suicide rate of 9.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Belize, it is 4.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 3.6 times more likely to be obese

In North Korea, 11.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Belize, that number is 43.4% of people as of 2024.

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have 70.1% fewer doctors per person

North Korea has 36.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2017. Belize has 10.9 as of 2018.

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Economy

be 2.5 times more likely to be unemployed

In North Korea, 3.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Belize, that number is 8.9% as of 2025.

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Life

be 18.8% 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 Belize, on the other hand, 10.8 children do as of 2024.

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have 40.4% more children

In North Korea, there are approximately 12.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Belize, there are 18.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 73.2% 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 Belize, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 99% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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Geography

see 84.5% less coastline

North Korea has a total of 2,495 km of coastline. In Belize, that number is 386 km.

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Infrastructure

live with 95.5% less strain on fresh water

North Korea withdraws 28% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Belize withdraws 1% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 75.6% less likely to die from air pollution

In North Korea, air pollution causes 86.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Belize, it causes 21.0 as of 2019.

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emit 62.8% less CO2

North Korea emits 2.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Belize emits 0.9 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2017–2025), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators (2019). How we calculate this

Compare further: North Korea vs. Belize

Cost of Living Comparison · 4 categories - 2026 data
Belize is 2.8 times more expensive than North Korea overall
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Size Comparison · See true size
North Korea is about 5 times bigger than Belize.
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Moving from North Korea to Belize · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
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Belize: At a glance

Belize is a sovereign country in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 22,806 sq km. Belize was the site of several Mayan city states until their decline at the end of the first millennium A.D. The British and Spanish disputed the region in the 17th and 18th centuries; it formally became the colony of British Honduras in 1854. Territorial disputes between the UK and Guatemala delayed the independence of Belize until 1981. Guatemala refused to recognize the new nation until 1992 and the two countries are involved in an ongoing border dispute. Tourism has become the mainstay of the economy. Current concerns include the country's heavy foreign debt burden, high unemployment, growing involvement in the Mexican and South American drug trade, high crime rates, and one of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in Central America.
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How big is Belize compared to North Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.

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