Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Macedonia instead of South Korea, you would:
Health
have 12.8% more doctors per person
South Korea has 26.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Macedonia has 29.4 as of 2022.
be 79.0% less likely to die by suicide
South Korea has a suicide rate of 27.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Macedonia, it is 5.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 7.0 years less
In South Korea, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024. In Macedonia, that number is 77 years (74 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024.
be 3.2 times more likely to be obese
In South Korea, 8.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Macedonia, that number is 26.8% of people as of 2024.
see 64.4% less spent on your healthcare
South Korea spends $5,081 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Macedonia spends $1,808 as of 2023.
have 16.9% less access to essential health services
South Korea scores 89 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Macedonia scores 74 as of 2021.
Economy
be 4.6 times more likely to be unemployed
In South Korea, 2.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Macedonia, that number is 12.3% as of 2025.
make 71.0% less money
South Korea has a GDP per capita of $36,227 as of 2025, while in Macedonia, the GDP per capita is $10,490 as of 2025.
Life
be 25.0% less 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 Macedonia, 3.0 women do as of 2023.
have 87.2% more children
In South Korea, there are approximately 4.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Macedonia, there are 8.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 14.4% less on healthcare
South Korea spends 8.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Macedonia, that number is 7.4% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 17.4% less likely to die in a road accident
In South Korea, road accidents kill 6.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Macedonia, they kill 5.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 3.2 times more likely to be murdered
South Korea has a homicide rate of 0.5 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Macedonia, that number is 1.5 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Infrastructure
live with 38.3% less strain on fresh water
South Korea withdraws 85% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Macedonia withdraws 53% as of 2022.
find 37.5% less home broadband
South Korea has 47.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Macedonia has 29.9 as of 2024.
use 70.7% less electricity
South Korea uses 11,350 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Macedonia uses 3,320 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 64.8% less CO2
South Korea emits 11.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Macedonia emits 4.0 tonnes as of 2024.
be 3.3 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 Macedonia, it causes 62.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: South Korea vs. Macedonia
Macedonia: At a glance
How big is Macedonia compared to South Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.