Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Papua New Guinea instead of South Korea, you would:
Health
be 93.4% less likely to die by suicide
South Korea has a suicide rate of 27.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Papua New Guinea, it is 1.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 17.4 years less
In South Korea, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 66 years (64 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024.
be 3.3 times more likely to be obese
In South Korea, 8.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 28.0% of people as of 2024.
see 97.4% less spent on your healthcare
South Korea spends $5,081 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Papua New Guinea spends $133 as of 2023.
have 97.7% fewer doctors per person
South Korea has 26.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Papua New Guinea has 0.6 as of 2023.
have 66.3% less access to essential health services
South Korea scores 89 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Papua New Guinea scores 30 as of 2021.
Economy
make 91.7% less money
South Korea has a GDP per capita of $36,227 as of 2025, while in Papua New Guinea, the GDP per capita is $3,020 as of 2025.
Life
have 5.2 times more children
In South Korea, there are approximately 4.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, there are 24.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 47.2 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 Papua New Guinea, 189.0 women do as of 2023.
be 11.2% less likely to be literate
In South Korea, the literacy rate is 98.0% as of 2019. In Papua New Guinea, it is 87.0% as of 2022.
be 13.6 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 Papua New Guinea, on the other hand, 31.3 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 79.5% less likely to have access to electricity
In South Korea, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 20% of people on average (65% in urban areas, and 13% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 80.8% less likely to have internet access
In South Korea, approximately 97.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, about 18.8% do as of 2024.
be 46.7% less likely to have access to drinking water
In South Korea, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, 53% of people do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 85.6% less on education
South Korea spends 5.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Papua New Guinea spends 0.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 66.9% less on healthcare
South Korea spends 8.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 2.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 2.1 times more coastline
South Korea has a total of 2,413 km of coastline. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 5,152 km.
Safety
be 2.2 times more likely to die in a road accident
In South Korea, road accidents kill 6.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Papua New Guinea, they kill 14.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 99.8% less strain on fresh water
South Korea withdraws 85% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Papua New Guinea withdraws 0% as of 2022.
find 99.5% less home broadband
South Korea has 47.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Papua New Guinea has 0.2 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 95.4% less CO2
South Korea emits 11.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Papua New Guinea emits 0.5 tonnes as of 2024.
be 100.0% more likely to die from air pollution
In South Korea, air pollution causes 19.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Papua New Guinea, it causes 38.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2019), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: South Korea vs. Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea: At a glance
How big is Papua New Guinea compared to South Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.