Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Central African Republic instead of South Korea, you would:
Health
be 66.6% less likely to die by suicide
South Korea has a suicide rate of 27.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Central African Republic, it is 9.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 26.0 years less
In South Korea, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024. In Central African Republic, that number is 58 years (56 years for men, 60 years for women) as of 2024.
be 30.6% more likely to be obese
In South Korea, 8.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Central African Republic, that number is 10.9% of people as of 2024.
see 97.3% less spent on your healthcare
South Korea spends $5,081 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Central African Republic spends $137 as of 2023.
have 97.2% fewer doctors per person
South Korea has 26.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Central African Republic has 0.7 as of 2023.
have 64.0% less access to essential health services
South Korea scores 89 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Central African Republic scores 32 as of 2021.
Economy
be 2.3 times more likely to be unemployed
In South Korea, 2.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Central African Republic, that number is 6.2% as of 2025.
make 98.5% less money
South Korea has a GDP per capita of $36,227 as of 2025, while in Central African Republic, the GDP per capita is $556 as of 2025.
Life
have 9.8 times more children
In South Korea, there are approximately 4.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Central African Republic, there are 46.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 173.0 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 Central African Republic, 692.0 women do as of 2023.
be 61.7% less likely to be literate
In South Korea, the literacy rate is 98.0% as of 2019. In Central African Republic, it is 37.5% as of 2020.
be 25.6 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 Central African Republic, on the other hand, 58.8 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 82.4% less likely to have access to electricity
In South Korea, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Central African Republic, that number is 18% of people on average (37% in urban areas, and 2% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 85.9% less likely to have internet access
In South Korea, approximately 97.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Central African Republic, about 13.8% do as of 2024.
be 63.5% less likely to have access to drinking water
In South Korea, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Central African Republic, 36% of people do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 66.2% less on education
South Korea spends 5.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Central African Republic spends 1.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 22.8% more on healthcare
South Korea spends 8.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Central African Republic, that number is 10.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 3.8 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 Central African Republic, they kill 25.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 99.6% less strain on fresh water
South Korea withdraws 85% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Central African Republic withdraws 0% as of 2022.
find 100.0% less home broadband
South Korea has 47.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Central African Republic has 0.0 as of 2022.
Environment
emit 99.5% less CO2
South Korea emits 11.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Central African Republic emits 0.1 tonnes as of 2024.
be 5.2 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 Central African Republic, it causes 98.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2019–2020). How we calculate this
Compare further: South Korea vs. Central African Republic
Central African Republic: At a glance
How big is Central African Republic compared to South Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.