Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Cambodia instead of South Korea, you would:
Health
be 41.2% less likely to be obese
In South Korea, 8.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Cambodia, that number is 4.9% of people as of 2024.
be 83.7% less likely to die by suicide
South Korea has a suicide rate of 27.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Cambodia, it is 4.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 12.8 years less
In South Korea, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024. In Cambodia, that number is 71 years (68 years for men, 73 years for women) as of 2024.
see 93.1% less spent on your healthcare
South Korea spends $5,081 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Cambodia spends $350 as of 2023.
have 91.9% fewer doctors per person
South Korea has 26.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Cambodia has 2.1 as of 2019.
have 34.8% less access to essential health services
South Korea scores 89 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Cambodia scores 58 as of 2021.
Economy
be 90.3% less likely to be unemployed
In South Korea, 2.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Cambodia, that number is 0.3% as of 2025.
be 14.6% more likely to live below the poverty line
In South Korea, 14.4% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Cambodia, however, that number is 16.5% as of 2016.
make 92.1% less money
South Korea has a GDP per capita of $36,227 as of 2025, while in Cambodia, the GDP per capita is $2,872 as of 2025.
Life
have 4.3 times more children
In South Korea, there are approximately 4.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Cambodia, there are 20.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 34.2 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 Cambodia, 137.0 women do as of 2023.
be 26.6% less likely to be literate
In South Korea, the literacy rate is 98.0% as of 2019. In Cambodia, it is 71.9% as of 2021.
be 7.1 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 Cambodia, on the other hand, 16.4 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 30.1% less likely to have internet access
In South Korea, approximately 97.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Cambodia, about 68.5% do as of 2024.
be 17.2% less likely to have access to drinking water
In South Korea, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Cambodia, 83% of people do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 59.7% less on education
South Korea spends 5.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Cambodia spends 2.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 46.8% less on healthcare
South Korea spends 8.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Cambodia, that number is 4.6% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 81.6% less coastline
South Korea has a total of 2,413 km of coastline. In Cambodia, that number is 443 km.
Safety
be 2.7 times more likely to die in a road accident
In South Korea, road accidents kill 6.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Cambodia, they kill 18.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 98.8% less strain on fresh water
South Korea withdraws 85% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Cambodia withdraws 1% as of 2022.
find 91.3% less home broadband
South Korea has 47.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Cambodia has 4.2 as of 2024.
use 91.8% less electricity
South Korea uses 11,350 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Cambodia uses 932 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 90.3% less CO2
South Korea emits 11.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Cambodia emits 1.1 tonnes as of 2024.
be 3.2 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 Cambodia, it causes 60.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2016–2019), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: South Korea vs. Cambodia
Cambodia: At a glance
How big is Cambodia compared to South Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.