Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Sri Lanka instead of North Korea, you would:

Health

live 3.9 years longer

In North Korea, the average life expectancy is 74 years (72 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2024. In Sri Lanka, that number is 78 years (74 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 58.3% more likely to die by suicide

North Korea has a suicide rate of 9.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Sri Lanka, it is 14.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 13.0% more likely to be unemployed

In North Korea, 3.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Sri Lanka, that number is 4.0% as of 2025.

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Life

be 73.1% 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 Sri Lanka, 18.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 60.9% 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 Sri Lanka, on the other hand, 5.2 children do as of 2024.

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have 21.5% fewer children

In North Korea, there are approximately 12.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Sri Lanka, there are 10.1 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 Sri Lanka, 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 46.3% less coastline

North Korea has a total of 2,495 km of coastline. In Sri Lanka, that number is 1,340 km.

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Infrastructure

live with 3.3 times more strain on fresh water

North Korea withdraws 28% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Sri Lanka withdraws 91% as of 2022.

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use 18.3% less electricity

North Korea uses 789 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Sri Lanka uses 644 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

be 57.0% less likely to die from air pollution

In North Korea, air pollution causes 86.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Sri Lanka, it causes 37.0 as of 2019.

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emit 57.6% less CO2

North Korea emits 2.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Sri Lanka emits 1.1 tonnes as of 2024.

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

Compare further: North Korea vs. Sri Lanka

Cost of Living Comparison · 4 categories - 2026 data
Sri Lanka is 3.5% cheaper than North Korea overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
North Korea is about 1.8 times bigger than Sri Lanka.
→
Moving from North Korea to Sri Lanka · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
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Sri Lanka: At a glance

Sri Lanka is a sovereign country in South Asia, with a total land area of approximately 64,630 sq km. The first Sinhalese arrived in Sri Lanka late in the 6th century B.C., probably from northern India. Buddhism was introduced in about the mid-third century B.C., and a great civilization developed at the cities of Anuradhapura (kingdom from circa 200 B.C. to circa A.D. 1000) and Polonnaruwa (from about 1070 to 1200). In the 14th century, a south Indian dynasty established a Tamil kingdom in northern Sri Lanka. The coastal areas of the island were controlled by the Portuguese in the 16th century and by the Dutch in the 17th century. The island was ceded to the British in 1796, became a crown colony in 1802, and was formally united under British rule by 1815. As Ceylon, it became independent in 1948; its name was changed to Sri Lanka in 1972. Tensions between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil separatists erupted into war in 1983. After two decades of fighting, the government and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) formalized a cease-fire in February 2002 with Norway brokering peace negotiations. Violence between the LTTE and government forces intensified in 2006, but the government regained control of the Eastern Province in 2007. By May 2009, the government announced that its military had defeated the remnants of the LTTE. Since the end of the conflict, the government has enacted an ambitious program of economic development projects, many of which are financed by loans from the Government of China. In addition to efforts to reconstruct its economy, the government has resettled more than 95% of those civilians who were displaced during the final phase of the conflict and released the vast majority of former LTTE combatants captured by Government Security Forces. At the same time, there has been little progress on more contentious and politically difficult issues such as reaching a political settlement with Tamil elected representatives and holding accountable those alleged to have been involved in human rights violations and other abuses during the conflict.
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How big is Sri Lanka compared to North Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.

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