Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in South Korea instead of San Marino, you would:

Health

have 15.6% more access to essential health services

San Marino scores 77 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Korea scores 89 as of 2021.

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live 2.2 years less

In San Marino, the average life expectancy is 86 years (84 years for men, 87 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.

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have 43.6% fewer doctors per person

San Marino has 46.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. South Korea has 26.1 as of 2022.

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Economy

make 39.5% less money

San Marino has a GDP per capita of $59,871 as of 2023, while in South Korea, the GDP per capita is $36,227 as of 2025.

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Life

be 50.0% less likely to die during childbirth

In San Marino, approximately 8.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In South Korea, 4.0 women do as of 2023.

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have 11.9% more children

In San Marino, there are approximately 4.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Korea, there are 4.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 91.7% more likely to die during infancy

In San Marino, approximately 1.2 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.

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Expenditures

spend 86.6% more on education

San Marino spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. South Korea spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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spend 31.3% more on healthcare

San Marino spends 6.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Korea, that number is 8.7% of GDP as of 2024.

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Safety

be 16.9% more likely to die in a road accident

In San Marino, road accidents kill 5.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Korea, they kill 6.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 33.6% more home broadband

San Marino has 35.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. South Korea has 47.8 as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this

Compare further: San Marino vs. South Korea

Size Comparison · See true size
San Marino is about 1,635 times smaller than South Korea.
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Moving from San Marino to South Korea · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
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South Korea: At a glance

South Korea (sometimes abbreviated ROK) is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 96,920 sq km. An independent kingdom for much of its long history, Korea was occupied by Japan beginning in 1905 following the Russo-Japanese War. In 1910, Tokyo formally annexed the entire Peninsula. Korea regained its independence following Japan's surrender to the United States in 1945. After World War II, a democratic-based government (Republic of Korea, ROK) was set up in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula while a communist-style government was installed in the north (Democratic People's Republic of Korea, DPRK). During the Korean War (1950-53), US troops and UN forces fought alongside ROK soldiers to defend South Korea from a DPRK invasion supported by China and the Soviet Union. A 1953 armistice split the peninsula along a demilitarized zone at about the 38th parallel. PARK Chung-hee took over leadership of the country in a 1961 coup. During his regime, from 1961 to 1979, South Korea achieved rapid economic growth, with per capita income rising to roughly 17 times the level of North Korea. South Korea held its first free presidential election under a revised democratic constitution in 1987, with former ROK Army general ROH Tae-woo winning a close race. In 1993, KIM Young-sam (1993-98) became the first civilian president of South Korea's new democratic era. President KIM Dae-jung (1998-2003) won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000 for his contributions to South Korean democracy and his "Sunshine" policy of engagement with North Korea. President PARK Geun-hye, daughter of former ROK President PARK Chung-hee, took office in February 2013 and is South Korea's first female leader. South Korea holds a non-permanent seat (2013-14) on the UN Security Council and will host the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. Serious tensions with North Korea have punctuated inter-Korean relations in recent years, including the North's attacks on a South Korean ship and island in 2010, nuclear and missile tests, and its temporary closure of the inter-Korean Kaesong Industrial Complex in 2013.
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How big is South Korea compared to San Marino? See an in-depth size comparison.

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