Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Romania instead of South Korea, you would:
Health
have 38.9% more doctors per person
South Korea has 26.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Romania has 36.2 as of 2022.
be 65.1% less likely to die by suicide
South Korea has a suicide rate of 27.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Romania, it is 9.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 7.2 years less
In South Korea, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024. In Romania, that number is 76 years (73 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024.
be 3.9 times more likely to be obese
In South Korea, 8.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Romania, that number is 32.4% of people as of 2024.
see 48.6% less spent on your healthcare
South Korea spends $5,081 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Romania spends $2,614 as of 2023.
have 12.4% less access to essential health services
South Korea scores 89 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Romania scores 78 as of 2021.
Economy
be 2.2 times more likely to be unemployed
In South Korea, 2.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Romania, that number is 6.0% as of 2025.
make 37.8% less money
South Korea has a GDP per capita of $36,227 as of 2025, while in Romania, the GDP per capita is $22,538 as of 2025.
Life
have 59.6% more children
In South Korea, there are approximately 4.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Romania, there are 7.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 3.0 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 Romania, 12.0 women do as of 2023.
be 2.6 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 Romania, on the other hand, 6.0 children do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 39.4% less on education
South Korea spends 5.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Romania spends 3.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 34.2% less on healthcare
South Korea spends 8.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Romania, that number is 5.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 90.7% less coastline
South Korea has a total of 2,413 km of coastline. In Romania, that number is 225 km.
Safety
be 2.3 times more likely to be murdered
South Korea has a homicide rate of 0.5 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Romania, that number is 1.1 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 39.1% more likely to die in a road accident
In South Korea, road accidents kill 6.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Romania, they kill 9.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 91.0% less strain on fresh water
South Korea withdraws 85% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Romania withdraws 8% as of 2022.
find 25.1% less home broadband
South Korea has 47.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Romania has 35.8 as of 2024.
use 77.2% less electricity
South Korea uses 11,350 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Romania uses 2,585 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 67.3% less CO2
South Korea emits 11.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Romania emits 3.7 tonnes as of 2024.
be 2.4 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 Romania, it causes 46.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: South Korea vs. Romania
Romania: At a glance
How big is Romania compared to South Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.