Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Democratic Republic of the Congo instead of South Korea, you would:
Health
be 20.1% less likely to be obese
In South Korea, 8.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 6.7% of people as of 2024.
be 68.1% less likely to die by suicide
South Korea has a suicide rate of 27.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, it is 8.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 21.6 years less
In South Korea, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 62 years (60 years for men, 64 years for women) as of 2024.
see 98.9% less spent on your healthcare
South Korea spends $5,081 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Democratic Republic of the Congo spends $58 as of 2023.
have 92.0% fewer doctors per person
South Korea has 26.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Democratic Republic of the Congo has 2.1 as of 2022.
have 52.8% less access to essential health services
South Korea scores 89 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Democratic Republic of the Congo scores 42 as of 2021.
Economy
be 65.3% more likely to be unemployed
In South Korea, 2.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 4.4% as of 2025.
make 97.8% less money
South Korea has a GDP per capita of $36,227 as of 2025, while in Democratic Republic of the Congo, the GDP per capita is $807 as of 2025.
Life
have 8.7 times more children
In South Korea, there are approximately 4.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, there are 40.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 106.8 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 Democratic Republic of the Congo, 427.0 women do as of 2023.
be 24.5 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 Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the other hand, 56.4 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 77.9% 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 Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 22% of people on average (56% in urban areas, and 1% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 79.9% less likely to have internet access
In South Korea, approximately 97.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, about 19.7% do as of 2024.
be 64.3% less likely to have access to drinking water
In South Korea, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 36% of people do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 47.5% less on education
South Korea spends 5.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Democratic Republic of the Congo spends 2.8% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 57.6% less on healthcare
South Korea spends 8.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 3.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 98.5% less coastline
South Korea has a total of 2,413 km of coastline. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 37 km.
Safety
be 2.4 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 Democratic Republic of the Congo, they kill 16.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 99.7% less strain on fresh water
South Korea withdraws 85% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Democratic Republic of the Congo withdraws 0% as of 2022.
find 99.9% less home broadband
South Korea has 47.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Democratic Republic of the Congo has 0.0 as of 2024.
use 98.9% less electricity
South Korea uses 11,350 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Democratic Republic of the Congo uses 129 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 99.5% less CO2
South Korea emits 11.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Democratic Republic of the Congo emits 0.1 tonnes as of 2024.
be 3.8 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 Democratic Republic of the Congo, it causes 72.0 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. Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo: At a glance
How big is Democratic Republic of the Congo compared to South Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.