Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Samoa instead of South Korea, you would:
Health
be 56.4% less likely to die by suicide
South Korea has a suicide rate of 27.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Samoa, it is 12.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 11.8 years less
In South Korea, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024. In Samoa, that number is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.
be 7.7 times more likely to be obese
In South Korea, 8.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Samoa, that number is 64.3% of people as of 2024.
see 90.7% less spent on your healthcare
South Korea spends $5,081 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Samoa spends $475 as of 2023.
have 78.5% fewer doctors per person
South Korea has 26.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Samoa has 5.6 as of 2021.
have 38.2% less access to essential health services
South Korea scores 89 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Samoa scores 55 as of 2021.
Economy
be 86.6% more likely to be unemployed
In South Korea, 2.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Samoa, that number is 5.0% as of 2025.
be 52.1% more likely to live below the poverty line
In South Korea, 14.4% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Samoa, however, that number is 21.9% as of 2018.
make 83.8% less money
South Korea has a GDP per capita of $36,227 as of 2025, while in Samoa, the GDP per capita is $5,873 as of 2025.
Life
have 5.3 times more children
In South Korea, there are approximately 4.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Samoa, there are 25.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 25.2 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 Samoa, 101.0 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 Samoa, on the other hand, 12.3 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 23.1% less likely to have internet access
In South Korea, approximately 97.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Samoa, about 75.3% do as of 2022.
Expenditures
spend 21.9% less on healthcare
South Korea spends 8.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Samoa, that number is 6.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 83.3% less coastline
South Korea has a total of 2,413 km of coastline. In Samoa, that number is 403 km.
Safety
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 Samoa, they kill 9.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 98.2% less home broadband
South Korea has 47.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Samoa has 0.9 as of 2022.
Environment
emit 85.9% less CO2
South Korea emits 11.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Samoa emits 1.6 tonnes as of 2024.
be 78.9% more likely to die from air pollution
In South Korea, air pollution causes 19.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Samoa, it causes 34.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2018–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), The World Factbook (2016), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: South Korea vs. Samoa
Samoa: At a glance
How big is Samoa compared to South Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.