Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Korea instead of Senegal, you would:
Health
live 14.7 years longer
In Senegal, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 71 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 27.8% less likely to be obese
In Senegal, 11.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Korea, that number is 8.4% of people as of 2024.
see 24.7 times more spent on your healthcare
Senegal spends $206 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Korea spends $5,081 as of 2024.
have 23.9 times more doctors per person
Senegal has 1.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. South Korea has 26.1 as of 2022.
have 78.0% more access to essential health services
Senegal scores 50 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Korea scores 89 as of 2021.
be 4.1 times more likely to die by suicide
Senegal has a suicide rate of 6.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Korea, it is 27.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 18.5 times more money
Senegal has a GDP per capita of $1,955 as of 2025, while in South Korea, the GDP per capita is $36,227 as of 2025.
Life
be 98.3% less likely to die during childbirth
In Senegal, approximately 237.0 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 92.0% less likely to die during infancy
In Senegal, approximately 28.9 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 83.9% fewer children
In Senegal, there are approximately 29.2 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 34.8% more likely to have access to electricity
In Senegal, approximately 74% of people have electricity access (96% in urban areas, and 56% in rural areas) as of 2023. In South Korea, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 62.8% more likely to have internet access
In Senegal, approximately 60.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Korea, about 97.9% do as of 2024.
be 13.6% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Senegal, approximately 88% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In South Korea, 100% of people do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 12.2% less on education
Senegal spends 6.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. South Korea spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 2.0 times more on healthcare
Senegal spends 4.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Korea, that number is 8.7% of GDP as of 2024.
Geography
see 4.5 times more coastline
Senegal has a total of 531 km of coastline. In South Korea, that number is 2,413 km.
Safety
be 66.8% less likely to die in a road accident
In Senegal, road accidents kill 20.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Korea, they kill 6.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 11.8 times more home broadband
Senegal has 4.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Korea has 47.8 as of 2024.
use 27.7 times more electricity
Senegal uses 410 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Korea uses 11,350 kWh as of 2024.
live with 5.2 times more strain on fresh water
Senegal withdraws 16% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Korea withdraws 85% as of 2022.
Environment
be 70.8% less likely to die from air pollution
In Senegal, air pollution causes 65.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Korea, it causes 19.0 as of 2019.
emit 14.8 times more CO2
Senegal 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), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Senegal vs. South Korea
South Korea: At a glance
How big is South Korea compared to Senegal? See an in-depth size comparison.