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

Health

live 11.5 years less

In North Korea, the average life expectancy is 74 years (72 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2024. In Nauru, that number is 62 years (60 years for men, 64 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 6.0 times more likely to be obese

In North Korea, 11.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Nauru, that number is 71.4% of people as of 2024.

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have 64.9% fewer doctors per person

North Korea has 36.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2017. Nauru has 12.7 as of 2015.

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have 11.8% less access to essential health services

North Korea scores 68 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Nauru scores 60 as of 2021.

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Life

be 42.1% 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 Nauru, on the other hand, 7.7 children do as of 2024.

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have 91.0% more children

In North Korea, there are approximately 12.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Nauru, there are 24.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 4.1 times more 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 Nauru, 273.0 women do as of 2023.

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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 Nauru, 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 98.8% less coastline

North Korea has a total of 2,495 km of coastline. In Nauru, that number is 30 km.

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Sources: World Bank (2015–2024), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

Nauru: At a glance

Nauru is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 21 sq km. The exact origins of the Nauruans are unclear since their language does not resemble any other in the Pacific region. Germany annexed the island in 1888. A German-British consortium began mining the island's phosphate deposits early in the 20th century. Australian forces occupied Nauru in World War I; it subsequently became a League of Nations mandate. After the Second World War - and a brutal occupation by Japan - Nauru became a UN trust territory. It achieved independence in 1968 and joined the UN in 1999 as the world's smallest independent republic.
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How big is Nauru compared to North Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.

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