Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Tajikistan instead of North Korea, you would:
Health
be 73.9% less likely to die by suicide
North Korea has a suicide rate of 9.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Tajikistan, it is 2.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 1.8 years less
In North Korea, the average life expectancy is 74 years (72 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2024. In Tajikistan, that number is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.
be 93.1% more likely to be obese
In North Korea, 11.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Tajikistan, that number is 23.1% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 95.8% more likely to be unemployed
In North Korea, 3.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Tajikistan, that number is 6.9% as of 2025.
Life
be 79.1% 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 Tajikistan, 14.0 women do as of 2023.
have 97.0% more children
In North Korea, there are approximately 12.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Tajikistan, there are 25.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 76.7% more 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 Tajikistan, on the other hand, 23.5 children do as of 2024.
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 Tajikistan, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
Infrastructure
use 89.9% more electricity
North Korea uses 789 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Tajikistan uses 1,497 kWh as of 2023.
live with 2.5 times more strain on fresh water
North Korea withdraws 28% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Tajikistan withdraws 70% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 63.2% less CO2
North Korea emits 2.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Tajikistan emits 0.9 tonnes as of 2024.
be 84.9% more likely to die from air pollution
In North Korea, air pollution causes 86.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Tajikistan, it causes 159.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019). How we calculate this
Compare further: North Korea vs. Tajikistan
Tajikistan: At a glance
How big is Tajikistan compared to North Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.