Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 0.8 years longer

In North Korea, the average life expectancy is 74 years (72 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2024. In Kazakhstan, that number is 75 years (70 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024.

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have 17.6% more access to essential health services

North Korea scores 68 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Kazakhstan scores 80 as of 2021.

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be 76.6% more likely to be obese

In North Korea, 11.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Kazakhstan, that number is 21.1% of people as of 2024.

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be 56.8% more likely to die by suicide

North Korea has a suicide rate of 9.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Kazakhstan, it is 14.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 34.7% more likely to be unemployed

In North Korea, 3.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Kazakhstan, that number is 4.8% as of 2025.

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Life

be 85.1% 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 Kazakhstan, 10.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 44.4% 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 Kazakhstan, on the other hand, 7.4 children do as of 2024.

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have 51.8% more children

In North Korea, there are approximately 12.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Kazakhstan, there are 19.5 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 Kazakhstan, 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

use 6.5 times more electricity

North Korea uses 789 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Kazakhstan uses 5,146 kWh as of 2023.

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live with 24.8% more strain on fresh water

North Korea withdraws 28% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Kazakhstan withdraws 35% as of 2022.

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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 Kazakhstan, it causes 68.0 as of 2019.

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emit 5.0 times more CO2

North Korea emits 2.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Kazakhstan emits 12.6 tonnes as of 2024.

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

Compare further: North Korea vs. Kazakhstan

Cost of Living Comparison · 4 categories - 2026 data
Kazakhstan is 53.2% more expensive than North Korea overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
North Korea is about 23 times smaller than Kazakhstan.
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Moving from North Korea to Kazakhstan · UN DESA 2020
64,829 people born in North Korea live in Kazakhstan.
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Kazakhstan: At a glance

Kazakhstan is a sovereign country in Central Asia, with a total land area of approximately 2,699,700 sq km. Ethnic Kazakhs, a mix of Turkic and Mongol nomadic tribes who migrated to the region by the 13th century, were rarely united as a single nation. The area was conquered by Russia in the 18th century, and Kazakhstan became a Soviet Republic in 1936. During the 1950s and 1960s agricultural "Virgin Lands" program, Soviet citizens were encouraged to help cultivate Kazakhstan's northern pastures. This influx of immigrants (mostly Russians, but also some other deported nationalities) skewed the ethnic mixture and enabled non-ethnic Kazakhs to outnumber natives. Non-Muslim ethnic minorities departed Kazakhstan in large numbers from the mid-1990s through the mid-2000s and a national program has repatriated about a million ethnic Kazakhs back to Kazakhstan. These trends have allowed Kazakhs to become the titular majority again. This dramatic demographic shift has also undermined the previous religious diversity and made the country more than 70 percent Muslim. Kazakhstan's economy is larger than those of all the other Central Asian states largely due to the country's vast natural resources. Current issues include: developing a cohesive national identity; managing Islamic revivalism; expanding the development of the country's vast energy resources and exporting them to world markets; diversifying the economy outside the oil, gas, and mining sectors; enhancing Kazakhstan's economic competitiveness; developing a multiparty parliament and advancing political and social reform; and strengthening relations with neighboring states and other foreign powers.
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How big is Kazakhstan compared to North Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.

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