Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United States instead of North Korea, you would:
Health
live 5.2 years longer
In North Korea, the average life expectancy is 74 years (72 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2024. In United States, that number is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.
have 26.5% more access to essential health services
North Korea scores 68 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. United States scores 86 as of 2021.
be 3.4 times more likely to be obese
In North Korea, 11.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United States, that number is 41.0% of people as of 2024.
be 67.9% more likely to die by suicide
North Korea has a suicide rate of 9.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United States, it is 15.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 18.6% more likely to be unemployed
In North Korea, 3.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In United States, that number is 4.2% as of 2025.
Life
be 74.6% 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 United States, 17.0 women do as of 2023.
be 58.6% 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 United States, on the other hand, 5.5 children do as of 2024.
have 17.6% fewer children
In North Korea, there are approximately 12.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United States, there are 10.6 babies per 1,000 people 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 United States, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
Geography
see 8.0 times more coastline
North Korea has a total of 2,495 km of coastline. In United States, that number is 19,924 km.
Infrastructure
use 16.3 times more electricity
North Korea uses 789 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. United States uses 12,839 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 83.7% less likely to die from air pollution
In North Korea, air pollution causes 86.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United States, it causes 14.0 as of 2019.
emit 5.4 times more CO2
North Korea emits 2.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United States emits 13.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: North Korea vs. United States
United States: At a glance
How big is United States compared to North Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.