Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Korea instead of Pakistan, you would:
Health
live 15.8 years longer
In Pakistan, the average life expectancy is 68 years (65 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024. In South Korea, that number is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024.
be 65.9% less likely to be obese
In Pakistan, 24.5% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Korea, that number is 8.4% of people as of 2024.
see 33.4 times more spent on your healthcare
Pakistan spends $152 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Korea spends $5,081 as of 2024.
have 2.2 times more doctors per person
Pakistan has 11.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. South Korea has 26.1 as of 2022.
have 97.8% more access to essential health services
Pakistan scores 45 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Korea scores 89 as of 2021.
be 4.9 times more likely to die by suicide
Pakistan has a suicide rate of 5.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Korea, it is 27.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 50.6% less likely to be unemployed
In Pakistan, 5.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Korea, that number is 2.7% as of 2025.
make 22.7 times more money
Pakistan has a GDP per capita of $1,596 as of 2025, while in South Korea, the GDP per capita is $36,227 as of 2025.
Life
be 97.4% less likely to die during childbirth
In Pakistan, approximately 155.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In South Korea, 4.0 women do as of 2023.
be 66.5% more likely to be literate
In Pakistan, the literacy rate is 58.9% as of 2021. In South Korea, it is 98.0% as of 2019.
be 95.2% less likely to die during infancy
In Pakistan, approximately 48.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In South Korea, on the other hand, 2.3 children do as of 2024.
have 82.9% fewer children
In Pakistan, there are approximately 27.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Korea, there are 4.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 71.0% more likely to have internet access
In Pakistan, approximately 57.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Korea, about 97.9% do as of 2024.
be 10.3% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Pakistan, approximately 91% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In South Korea, 100% of people do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.8 times more on education
Pakistan spends 1.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. South Korea spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 3.4 times more on healthcare
Pakistan spends 2.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Korea, that number is 8.7% of GDP as of 2024.
Geography
see 2.3 times more coastline
Pakistan has a total of 1,046 km of coastline. In South Korea, that number is 2,413 km.
Safety
be 88.9% less likely to be murdered
Pakistan has a homicide rate of 4.3 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In South Korea, that number is 0.5 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 42.0% less likely to die in a road accident
In Pakistan, road accidents kill 11.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Korea, they kill 6.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 32.5 times more home broadband
Pakistan has 1.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Korea has 47.8 as of 2024.
live with 22.5% less strain on fresh water
Pakistan withdraws 110% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Korea withdraws 85% as of 2022.
use 21.9 times more electricity
Pakistan uses 518 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Korea uses 11,350 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 81.9% less likely to die from air pollution
In Pakistan, air pollution causes 105.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Korea, it causes 19.0 as of 2019.
emit 14.0 times more CO2
Pakistan emits 0.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. South Korea emits 11.4 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2019), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Pakistan vs. South Korea
South Korea: At a glance
How big is South Korea compared to Pakistan? See an in-depth size comparison.