Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Mexico instead of South Korea, you would:
Health
be 74.8% less likely to die by suicide
South Korea has a suicide rate of 27.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Mexico, it is 7.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 8.4 years less
In South Korea, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024. In Mexico, that number is 75 years (72 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2024.
be 4.5 times more likely to be obese
In South Korea, 8.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Mexico, that number is 37.4% of people as of 2024.
see 73.1% less spent on your healthcare
South Korea spends $5,081 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Mexico spends $1,368 as of 2023.
have 15.7% less access to essential health services
South Korea scores 89 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Mexico scores 75 as of 2021.
Economy
make 61.7% less money
South Korea has a GDP per capita of $36,227 as of 2025, while in Mexico, the GDP per capita is $13,889 as of 2025.
Life
have 3.3 times more children
In South Korea, there are approximately 4.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Mexico, there are 15.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 10.5 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 Mexico, 42.0 women do as of 2023.
be 5.3 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 Mexico, on the other hand, 12.1 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 15.1% less likely to have internet access
In South Korea, approximately 97.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Mexico, about 83.1% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 25.0% less on education
South Korea spends 5.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Mexico spends 4.1% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 36.6% less on healthcare
South Korea spends 8.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Mexico, that number is 5.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 3.9 times more coastline
South Korea has a total of 2,413 km of coastline. In Mexico, that number is 9,330 km.
Safety
be 51.8 times more likely to be murdered
South Korea has a homicide rate of 0.5 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Mexico, that number is 24.9 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 39.9% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In South Korea, 64% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2021. In Mexico, that number is 39% as of 2022.
be 73.9% more likely to die in a road accident
In South Korea, road accidents kill 6.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Mexico, they kill 12.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 47.3% less strain on fresh water
South Korea withdraws 85% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Mexico withdraws 45% as of 2022.
find 54.5% less home broadband
South Korea has 47.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Mexico has 21.7 as of 2024.
use 76.6% less electricity
South Korea uses 11,350 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Mexico uses 2,658 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
emit 68.0% less CO2
South Korea emits 11.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Mexico emits 3.6 tonnes as of 2024.
be 57.9% more likely to die from air pollution
In South Korea, air pollution causes 19.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Mexico, it causes 30.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: South Korea vs. Mexico
Mexico: At a glance
How big is Mexico compared to South Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.