Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Portugal instead of South Korea, you would:
Health
have 2.2 times more doctors per person
South Korea has 26.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Portugal has 58.5 as of 2022.
be 58.2% less likely to die by suicide
South Korea has a suicide rate of 27.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Portugal, it is 11.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 1.2 years less
In South Korea, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024. In Portugal, that number is 82 years (80 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024.
be 2.2 times more likely to be obese
In South Korea, 8.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Portugal, that number is 18.1% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 2.3 times more likely to be unemployed
In South Korea, 2.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Portugal, that number is 6.2% as of 2025.
make 11.4% less money
South Korea has a GDP per capita of $36,227 as of 2025, while in Portugal, the GDP per capita is $32,082 as of 2025.
Life
have 68.1% more children
In South Korea, there are approximately 4.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Portugal, there are 7.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 3.8 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 Portugal, 15.0 women do as of 2023.
be 17.4% 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 Portugal, on the other hand, 2.7 children do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 15.9% less on education
South Korea spends 5.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Portugal spends 4.5% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 18.0% more on healthcare
South Korea spends 8.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Portugal, that number is 10.2% of GDP as of 2024.
Geography
see 25.7% less coastline
South Korea has a total of 2,413 km of coastline. In Portugal, that number is 1,793 km.
Safety
be 50.0% more likely to be murdered
South Korea has a homicide rate of 0.5 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Portugal, that number is 0.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.
Infrastructure
live with 85.5% less strain on fresh water
South Korea withdraws 85% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Portugal withdraws 12% as of 2022.
use 53.4% less electricity
South Korea uses 11,350 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Portugal uses 5,294 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 47.4% less likely to die from air pollution
In South Korea, air pollution causes 19.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Portugal, it causes 10.0 as of 2019.
emit 70.8% less CO2
South Korea emits 11.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Portugal emits 3.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators (2019). How we calculate this
Compare further: South Korea vs. Portugal
Portugal: At a glance
How big is Portugal compared to South Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.