Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Kiribati instead of South Korea, you would:
Health
be 36.5% less likely to die by suicide
South Korea has a suicide rate of 27.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Kiribati, it is 17.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 17.0 years less
In South Korea, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024. In Kiribati, that number is 67 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024.
be 5.4 times more likely to be obese
In South Korea, 8.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Kiribati, that number is 45.6% of people as of 2024.
see 92.1% less spent on your healthcare
South Korea spends $5,081 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Kiribati spends $401 as of 2023.
have 46.1% less access to essential health services
South Korea scores 89 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Kiribati scores 48 as of 2021.
Economy
make 92.9% less money
South Korea has a GDP per capita of $36,227 as of 2025, while in Kiribati, the GDP per capita is $2,559 as of 2025.
Life
have 5.4 times more children
In South Korea, there are approximately 4.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Kiribati, there are 25.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 20.0 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 Kiribati, 80.0 women do as of 2023.
be 16.9 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 Kiribati, on the other hand, 38.8 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 20.9% less likely to have access to drinking water
In South Korea, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Kiribati, 79% of people do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 3.0 times more on education
South Korea spends 5.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Kiribati spends 16.4% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 26.2% more on healthcare
South Korea spends 8.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Kiribati, that number is 10.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 52.6% less coastline
South Korea has a total of 2,413 km of coastline. In Kiribati, that number is 1,143 km.
Safety
be 10.1% less likely to die in a road accident
In South Korea, road accidents kill 6.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Kiribati, they kill 6.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 99.9% less home broadband
South Korea has 47.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Kiribati has 0.0 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 94.8% less CO2
South Korea emits 11.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Kiribati emits 0.6 tonnes as of 2024.
be 2.6 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 Kiribati, it causes 49.0 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. Kiribati
Kiribati: At a glance
How big is Kiribati compared to South Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.