Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Belarus instead of South Korea, you would:
Health
have 80.7% more doctors per person
South Korea has 26.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Belarus has 47.2 as of 2023.
be 43.3% less likely to die by suicide
South Korea has a suicide rate of 27.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Belarus, it is 15.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 9.3 years less
In South Korea, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024. In Belarus, that number is 74 years (70 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024.
be 2.5 times more likely to be obese
In South Korea, 8.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Belarus, that number is 20.6% of people as of 2024.
see 56.8% less spent on your healthcare
South Korea spends $5,081 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Belarus spends $2,194 as of 2023.
have 11.2% less access to essential health services
South Korea scores 89 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Belarus scores 79 as of 2021.
Economy
be 26.1% more likely to be unemployed
In South Korea, 2.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Belarus, that number is 3.4% as of 2025.
make 71.6% less money
South Korea has a GDP per capita of $36,227 as of 2025, while in Belarus, the GDP per capita is $10,279 as of 2025.
Life
be 75.0% less likely to die during childbirth
In South Korea, approximately 4.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Belarus, 1.0 women do as of 2023.
be 21.7% less likely to die during infancy
In South Korea, approximately 2.3 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Belarus, on the other hand, 1.8 children do as of 2024.
have 49.6% more children
In South Korea, there are approximately 4.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Belarus, there are 7.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 18.4% less on healthcare
South Korea spends 8.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Belarus, that number is 7.1% of GDP as of 2023.
Infrastructure
live with 94.5% less strain on fresh water
South Korea withdraws 85% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Belarus withdraws 5% as of 2022.
find 24.1% less home broadband
South Korea has 47.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Belarus has 36.3 as of 2024.
use 63.0% less electricity
South Korea uses 11,350 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Belarus uses 4,198 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 47.7% less CO2
South Korea emits 11.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Belarus emits 5.9 tonnes as of 2024.
be 3.6 times more likely to die from air pollution
In South Korea, air pollution causes 19.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Belarus, it causes 68.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: South Korea vs. Belarus
Belarus: At a glance
How big is Belarus compared to South Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.