Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Bulgaria instead of South Korea, you would:
Health
have 65.8% more doctors per person
South Korea has 26.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Bulgaria has 43.3 as of 2022.
be 65.5% less likely to die by suicide
South Korea has a suicide rate of 27.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Bulgaria, it is 9.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 7.9 years less
In South Korea, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024. In Bulgaria, that number is 76 years (72 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024.
be 2.4 times more likely to be obese
In South Korea, 8.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Bulgaria, that number is 20.3% of people as of 2024.
see 41.6% less spent on your healthcare
South Korea spends $5,081 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Bulgaria spends $2,970 as of 2023.
have 18.0% less access to essential health services
South Korea scores 89 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Bulgaria scores 73 as of 2021.
Economy
be 32.1% more likely to be unemployed
In South Korea, 2.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Bulgaria, that number is 3.5% as of 2025.
make 43.9% less money
South Korea has a GDP per capita of $36,227 as of 2025, while in Bulgaria, the GDP per capita is $20,328 as of 2025.
Life
have 76.6% more children
In South Korea, there are approximately 4.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Bulgaria, there are 8.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 50.0% 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 Bulgaria, 6.0 women do as of 2023.
be 100.0% 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 Bulgaria, on the other hand, 4.6 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 15.8% less likely to have internet access
In South Korea, approximately 97.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Bulgaria, about 82.4% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 16.8% less on education
South Korea spends 5.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Bulgaria spends 4.5% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
Geography
see 85.3% less coastline
South Korea has a total of 2,413 km of coastline. In Bulgaria, that number is 354 km.
Safety
be 34.3% more likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In South Korea, 64% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2021. In Bulgaria, that number is 86% as of 2020.
be 2.3 times more likely to be murdered
South Korea has a homicide rate of 0.5 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Bulgaria, that number is 1.1 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 21.7% more likely to die in a road accident
In South Korea, road accidents kill 6.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Bulgaria, they kill 8.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 52.8% less strain on fresh water
South Korea withdraws 85% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Bulgaria withdraws 40% as of 2022.
find 22.6% less home broadband
South Korea has 47.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Bulgaria has 37.0 as of 2023.
use 52.8% less electricity
South Korea uses 11,350 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Bulgaria uses 5,360 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 53.3% less CO2
South Korea emits 11.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Bulgaria emits 5.3 tonnes as of 2024.
be 3.3 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 Bulgaria, it causes 63.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: South Korea vs. Bulgaria
Bulgaria: At a glance
How big is Bulgaria compared to South Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.