Quality of life comparison
If you lived in North Korea instead of Rwanda, you would:
Health
live 5.9 years longer
In Rwanda, the average life expectancy is 66 years (64 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2022. In North Korea, that number is 72 years (68 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2022.
be 17.2% more likely to be obese
In Rwanda, 5.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In North Korea, that number is 6.8% of people as of 2016.
Economy
make 19.0% less money
Rwanda has a GDP per capita of $2,100 as of 2020, while in North Korea, the GDP per capita is $1,700 as of 2015.
be 9.5 times more likely to be unemployed
In Rwanda, 2.7% of adults are unemployed as of 2014. In North Korea, that number is 25.6% as of 2013.
Life
be 64.1% less likely to die during childbirth
In Rwanda, approximately 248.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In North Korea, 89.0 women do as of 2017.
be 36.6% more likely to be literate
In Rwanda, the literacy rate is 73.2% as of 2018. In North Korea, it is 100.0% as of 2015.
be 15.8% less likely to die during infancy
In Rwanda, approximately 26.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In North Korea, on the other hand, 22.2 children do as of 2022.
have 46.3% fewer children
In Rwanda, there are approximately 26.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In North Korea, there are 14.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022.
Basic Needs
be 14.3% more likely to have access to improved drinking water
In Rwanda, approximately 83% of people have improved drinking water access (92% in urban areas, and 81% in rural areas) as of 2020. In North Korea, that number is 94% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 89% in rural areas) as of 2020.
be 50.9% less likely to have access to electricity
In Rwanda, approximately 53% of people have electricity access (76% in urban areas, and 48% in rural areas) as of 2019. In North Korea, that number is 26% of people on average (36% in urban areas, and 11% in rural areas) as of 2019.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.
North Korea: At a glance
How big is North Korea compared to Rwanda? See an in-depth size comparison.