Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in British Virgin Islands instead of North Korea, you would:

Health

live 3.7 years longer

In North Korea, the average life expectancy is 74 years (72 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2024. In British Virgin Islands, that number is 77 years (75 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024.

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Life

be 14.3% 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 British Virgin Islands, on the other hand, 11.4 children do as of 2024.

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have 36.1% fewer children

In North Korea, there are approximately 12.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In British Virgin Islands, there are 8.2 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 British Virgin Islands, 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 96.8% less coastline

North Korea has a total of 2,495 km of coastline. In British Virgin Islands, that number is 80 km.

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Sources: World Bank (2023–2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

Compare further: North Korea vs. British Virgin Islands

Cost of Living Comparison · 4 categories - 2026 data
British Virgin Islands is 5.3 times more expensive than North Korea overall
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Size Comparison · See true size
North Korea is about 798 times bigger than British Virgin Islands.
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Moving from North Korea to British Virgin Islands · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
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British Virgin Islands: At a glance

British Virgin Islands (sometimes abbreviated BVI) is a sovereign country in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 151 sq km. First inhabited by Arawak and later by Carib Indians, the Virgin Islands were settled by the Dutch in 1648 and then annexed by the English in 1672. The islands were part of the British colony of the Leeward Islands from 1872-1960; they were granted autonomy in 1967. The economy is closely tied to the larger and more populous US Virgin Islands to the west; the US dollar is the legal currency.
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How big is British Virgin Islands compared to North Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.

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