Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 8.8 years longer

In North Korea, the average life expectancy is 74 years (72 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2024. In Qatar, that number is 83 years (82 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2024.

View global rankings →

have 11.8% more access to essential health services

North Korea scores 68 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Qatar scores 76 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

be 49.5% less likely to die by suicide

North Korea has a suicide rate of 9.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Qatar, it is 4.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

be 3.5 times more likely to be obese

In North Korea, 11.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Qatar, that number is 42.0% of people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Economy

be 96.3% less likely to be unemployed

In North Korea, 3.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Qatar, that number is 0.1% as of 2025.

View global rankings →

Life

be 94.0% 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 Qatar, 4.0 women do as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 63.9% 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 Qatar, on the other hand, 4.8 children do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

have 26.0% fewer children

In North Korea, there are approximately 12.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Qatar, there are 9.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

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

View global rankings →

Geography

see 77.4% less coastline

North Korea has a total of 2,495 km of coastline. In Qatar, that number is 563 km.

View global rankings →

Infrastructure

use 25.3 times more electricity

North Korea uses 789 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Qatar uses 19,963 kWh as of 2023.

View global rankings →

live with 15.5 times more strain on fresh water

North Korea withdraws 28% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Qatar withdraws 431% as of 2022.

View global rankings →

Environment

emit 18.9 times more CO2

North Korea emits 2.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Qatar emits 47.3 tonnes as of 2024.

View global rankings →

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

Compare further: North Korea vs. Qatar

Cost of Living Comparison · 4 categories - 2026 data
Qatar is 3.6 times more expensive than North Korea overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
North Korea is about 10 times bigger than Qatar.
→
Moving from North Korea to Qatar · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
→

Qatar: At a glance

Qatar is a sovereign country in Middle East, with a total land area of approximately 11,586 sq km. Ruled by the Al Thani family since the mid-1800s, Qatar transformed itself from a poor British protectorate noted mainly for pearling into an independent state with significant oil and natural gas revenues. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Qatari economy was crippled by a continuous siphoning off of petroleum revenues by the Amir, who had ruled the country since 1972. His son, the current Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa Al Thani, overthrew the father in a bloodless coup in 1995. In short order, HAMAD oversaw the creation of the pan-Arab satellite news network Al-Jazeera and Qatar's pursuit of a leadership role in mediating regional conflicts. In the 2000s, Qatar resolved its longstanding border disputes with both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. As of 2007, oil and natural gas revenues had enabled Qatar to attain the highest per capita income in the world. Qatar has not experienced domestic unrest or violence like that seen in other Near Eastern and North African countries in 2010-11, due in part to its immense wealth. Since the outbreak of regional unrest, however, Doha has prided itself on its support for many of these popular revolutions, particularly in Libya and Syria. In mid-2013, HAMAD transferred power to his 33 year-old son, TAMIM bin Hamad - a peaceful abdication rare in the history of Arab Gulf states. TAMIM has prioritized improving the domestic welfare of Qataris, including establishing advanced healthcare and education systems and expanding the country's infrastructure in anticipation of Doha's hosting of the 2022 World Cup.
Read more

How big is Qatar compared to North Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Qatar or North Korea. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.