Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Finland instead of South Korea, you would:
Health
see 26.6% more spent on your healthcare
South Korea spends $5,081 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Finland spends $6,433 as of 2023.
have 38.3% more doctors per person
South Korea has 26.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Finland has 36.1 as of 2021.
be 47.1% less likely to die by suicide
South Korea has a suicide rate of 27.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Finland, it is 14.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 1.3 years less
In South Korea, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024. In Finland, that number is 82 years (80 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024.
be 2.9 times more likely to be obese
In South Korea, 8.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Finland, that number is 24.2% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 55.0% more money
South Korea has a GDP per capita of $36,227 as of 2025, while in Finland, the GDP per capita is $56,149 as of 2025.
be 3.5 times more likely to be unemployed
In South Korea, 2.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Finland, that number is 9.5% as of 2025.
Life
be 17.4% less 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 Finland, on the other hand, 1.9 children do as of 2024.
have 66.0% more children
In South Korea, there are approximately 4.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Finland, there are 7.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 100.0% 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 Finland, 8.0 women do as of 2023.
Expenditures
spend 17.9% more on education
South Korea spends 5.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Finland spends 6.4% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 20.6% more on healthcare
South Korea spends 8.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Finland, that number is 10.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 48.2% less coastline
South Korea has a total of 2,413 km of coastline. In Finland, that number is 1,250 km.
Safety
be 33.9% 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 Finland, that number is 86% as of 2021.
be 39.1% less likely to die in a road accident
In South Korea, road accidents kill 6.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Finland, they kill 4.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 2.0 times more likely to be murdered
South Korea has a homicide rate of 0.5 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Finland, that number is 1.0 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Infrastructure
live with 91.7% less strain on fresh water
South Korea withdraws 85% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Finland withdraws 7% as of 2022.
use 30.6% more electricity
South Korea uses 11,350 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Finland uses 14,819 kWh as of 2024.
find 23.7% less home broadband
South Korea has 47.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Finland has 36.5 as of 2024.
Environment
be 63.2% less likely to die from air pollution
In South Korea, air pollution causes 19.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Finland, it causes 7.0 as of 2019.
emit 51.2% less CO2
South Korea emits 11.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Finland emits 5.5 tonnes as of 2024.
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. Finland
Finland: At a glance
How big is Finland compared to South Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.