Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Colombia instead of South Korea, you would:
Health
be 82.0% less likely to die by suicide
South Korea has a suicide rate of 27.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Colombia, it is 5.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 5.7 years less
In South Korea, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024. In Colombia, that number is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.
be 3.0 times more likely to be obese
In South Korea, 8.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Colombia, that number is 24.9% of people as of 2024.
see 65.4% less spent on your healthcare
South Korea spends $5,081 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Colombia spends $1,758 as of 2024.
have 10.1% less access to essential health services
South Korea scores 89 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Colombia scores 80 as of 2021.
Economy
be 3.1 times more likely to be unemployed
In South Korea, 2.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Colombia, that number is 8.3% as of 2025.
make 76.4% less money
South Korea has a GDP per capita of $36,227 as of 2025, while in Colombia, the GDP per capita is $8,562 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 Colombia, there are 13.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 14.8 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 Colombia, 59.0 women do as of 2023.
be 4.6 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 Colombia, on the other hand, 10.5 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 18.9% less likely to have internet access
In South Korea, approximately 97.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Colombia, about 79.3% do as of 2024.
Geography
see 32.9% more coastline
South Korea has a total of 2,413 km of coastline. In Colombia, that number is 3,208 km.
Safety
be 51.9 times more likely to be murdered
South Korea has a homicide rate of 0.5 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Colombia, that number is 24.9 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 20.7% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In South Korea, 64% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2021. In Colombia, that number is 51% as of 2022.
be 2.3 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 Colombia, they kill 16.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 95.7% less strain on fresh water
South Korea withdraws 85% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Colombia withdraws 4% as of 2022.
find 64.0% less home broadband
South Korea has 47.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Colombia has 17.2 as of 2024.
use 86.3% less electricity
South Korea uses 11,350 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Colombia uses 1,551 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
emit 84.2% less CO2
South Korea emits 11.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Colombia emits 1.8 tonnes as of 2024.
be 26.3% more likely to die from air pollution
In South Korea, air pollution causes 19.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Colombia, it causes 24.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: South Korea vs. Colombia
Colombia: At a glance
How big is Colombia compared to South Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.