Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 2.0 years longer

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

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be 70.0% more likely to be obese

In North Korea, 11.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Bulgaria, that number is 20.3% of people as of 2024.

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Life

be 91.0% 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 Bulgaria, 6.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 65.4% 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 Bulgaria, on the other hand, 4.6 children do as of 2024.

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have 35.5% fewer children

In North Korea, there are approximately 12.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Bulgaria, there are 8.3 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 Bulgaria, 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 85.8% less coastline

North Korea has a total of 2,495 km of coastline. In Bulgaria, that number is 354 km.

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Infrastructure

use 6.8 times more electricity

North Korea uses 789 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Bulgaria uses 5,360 kWh as of 2023.

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live with 45.1% more strain on fresh water

North Korea withdraws 28% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Bulgaria withdraws 40% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 26.7% less likely to die from air pollution

In North Korea, air pollution causes 86.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Bulgaria, it causes 63.0 as of 2019.

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emit 2.1 times more CO2

North Korea emits 2.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Bulgaria emits 5.3 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2022–2024), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators (2019). How we calculate this

Compare further: North Korea vs. Bulgaria

Cost of Living Comparison · 4 categories - 2026 data
Bulgaria is 68.3% more expensive than North Korea overall
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Size Comparison · See true size
North Korea is around the same size as Bulgaria.
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Moving from North Korea to Bulgaria · UN DESA 2020
37 people born in North Korea live in Bulgaria.
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Bulgaria: At a glance

Bulgaria is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 108,489 sq km. The Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the local Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first Bulgarian state. In succeeding centuries, Bulgaria struggled with the Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the Balkans, but by the end of the 14th century the country was overrun by the Ottoman Turks. Northern Bulgaria attained autonomy in 1878 and all of Bulgaria became independent from the Ottoman Empire in 1908. Having fought on the losing side in both World Wars, Bulgaria fell within the Soviet sphere of influence and became a People's Republic in 1946. Communist domination ended in 1990, when Bulgaria held its first multiparty election since World War II and began the contentious process of moving toward political democracy and a market economy while combating inflation, unemployment, corruption, and crime. The country joined NATO in 2004 and the EU in 2007.
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How big is Bulgaria compared to North Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.

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