Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 6.7 years longer

In North Korea, the average life expectancy is 72 years (68 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2022. In Uruguay, that number is 78 years (75 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2022.

be 4.1 times more likely to be obese

In North Korea, 6.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Uruguay, that number is 27.9% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 12.7 times more money

North Korea has a GDP per capita of $1,700 as of 2015, while in Uruguay, the GDP per capita is $21,600 as of 2020.

be 70.3% less likely to be unemployed

In North Korea, 25.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2013. In Uruguay, that number is 7.6% as of 2017.

Life

be 80.9% less likely to die during childbirth

In North Korea, approximately 89.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Uruguay, 17.0 women do as of 2017.

be 62.6% less likely to die during infancy

In North Korea, approximately 22.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Uruguay, on the other hand, 8.3 children do as of 2022.

have 10.6% fewer children

In North Korea, there are approximately 14.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Uruguay, there are 12.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 3.8 times more likely to have access to electricity

In North Korea, approximately 26% of the population has electricity access as of 2019. In Uruguay, 100% of the population do as of 2020.

Geography

see 73.5% less coastline

North Korea has a total of 2,495 km of coastline. In Uruguay, that number is 660 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Uruguay: At a glance

Uruguay is a sovereign country in South America, with a total land area of approximately 175,015 sq km. Montevideo, founded by the Spanish in 1726 as a military stronghold, soon took advantage of its natural harbor to become an important commercial center. Claimed by Argentina but annexed by Brazil in 1821, Uruguay declared its independence four years later and secured its freedom in 1828 after a three-year struggle. The administrations of President Jose BATLLE in the early 20th century launched widespread political, social, and economic reforms that established a statist tradition. A violent Marxist urban guerrilla movement named the Tupamaros, launched in the late 1960s, led Uruguay's president to cede control of the government to the military in 1973. By yearend, the rebels had been crushed, but the military continued to expand its hold over the government. Civilian rule was not restored until 1985. In 2004, the left-of-center Frente Amplio Coalition won national elections that effectively ended 170 years of political control previously held by the Colorado and Blanco parties. Uruguay's political and labor conditions are among the freest on the continent.
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How big is Uruguay compared to North Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.

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