Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Marshall Islands instead of South Korea, you would:
Health
live 16.5 years less
In South Korea, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024. In Marshall Islands, that number is 67 years (65 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024.
be 5.0 times more likely to be obese
In South Korea, 8.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Marshall Islands, that number is 42.0% of people as of 2024.
see 82.8% less spent on your healthcare
South Korea spends $5,081 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Marshall Islands spends $874 as of 2023.
have 33.7% less access to essential health services
South Korea scores 89 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Marshall Islands scores 59 as of 2021.
Economy
be 50.0% less likely to live below the poverty line
In South Korea, 14.4% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Marshall Islands, however, that number is 7.2% as of 2019.
make 76.6% less money
South Korea has a GDP per capita of $36,227 as of 2025, while in Marshall Islands, the GDP per capita is $8,489 as of 2025.
Life
have 4.3 times more children
In South Korea, there are approximately 4.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Marshall Islands, there are 20.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 38.8 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 Marshall Islands, 155.0 women do as of 2023.
be 9.9 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 Marshall Islands, on the other hand, 22.7 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 32.7% less likely to have internet access
In South Korea, approximately 97.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Marshall Islands, about 65.9% do as of 2024.
be 12.6% less likely to have access to drinking water
In South Korea, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Marshall Islands, 87% of people do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 42.3% more on education
South Korea spends 5.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Marshall Islands spends 7.7% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 54.5% more on healthcare
South Korea spends 8.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Marshall Islands, that number is 13.4% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 84.6% less coastline
South Korea has a total of 2,413 km of coastline. In Marshall Islands, that number is 370 km.
Safety
be 72.5% more likely to die in a road accident
In South Korea, road accidents kill 6.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Marshall Islands, they kill 11.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 95.1% less home broadband
South Korea has 47.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Marshall Islands has 2.4 as of 2022.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), The World Factbook (2016), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: South Korea vs. Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands: At a glance
How big is Marshall Islands compared to South Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.