Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Brunei instead of South Korea, you would:
Health
be 88.9% less likely to die by suicide
South Korea has a suicide rate of 27.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Brunei, it is 3.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 8.1 years less
In South Korea, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024. In Brunei, that number is 76 years (73 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2024.
be 4.4 times more likely to be obese
In South Korea, 8.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Brunei, that number is 37.0% of people as of 2024.
see 62.7% less spent on your healthcare
South Korea spends $5,081 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Brunei spends $1,896 as of 2023.
have 27.7% fewer doctors per person
South Korea has 26.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Brunei has 18.9 as of 2021.
have 12.4% less access to essential health services
South Korea scores 89 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Brunei scores 78 as of 2021.
Economy
be 97.0% more likely to be unemployed
In South Korea, 2.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Brunei, that number is 5.3% as of 2025.
make 11.0% less money
South Korea has a GDP per capita of $36,227 as of 2025, while in Brunei, the GDP per capita is $32,235 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.8 times more children
In South Korea, there are approximately 4.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Brunei, there are 13.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 9.0 times more 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 Brunei, 36.0 women do as of 2023.
be 3.7 times more 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 Brunei, on the other hand, 8.6 children do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 74.3% less on healthcare
South Korea spends 8.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Brunei, that number is 2.2% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 93.3% less coastline
South Korea has a total of 2,413 km of coastline. In Brunei, that number is 161 km.
Safety
be 47.8% less likely to die in a road accident
In South Korea, road accidents kill 6.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Brunei, they kill 3.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 95.9% less strain on fresh water
South Korea withdraws 85% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Brunei withdraws 3% as of 2022.
find 55.7% less home broadband
South Korea has 47.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Brunei has 21.2 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 78.2% more CO2
South Korea emits 11.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Brunei emits 20.2 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: South Korea vs. Brunei
Brunei: At a glance
How big is Brunei compared to South Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.