Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Spain instead of South Korea, you would:

Health

be 5.1 times more likely to be obese

In South Korea, 4.7% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Spain, that number is 23.8% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 14.4% less money

South Korea has a GDP per capita of $42,300 as of 2020, while in Spain, the GDP per capita is $36,200 as of 2020.

be 3.8 times more likely to be unemployed

In South Korea, 3.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2019. In Spain, that number is 14.1% as of 2019.

be 43.7% more likely to live below the poverty line

In South Korea, 14.4% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Spain, however, that number is 20.7% as of 2018.

pay a 18.4% higher top tax rate

South Korea has a top tax rate of 38.0% as of 2016. In Spain, the top tax rate is 45.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 63.6% less likely to die during childbirth

In South Korea, approximately 11.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Spain, 4.0 women do as of 2017.

be 13.9% less likely to die during infancy

In South Korea, approximately 2.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Spain, on the other hand, 2.5 children do as of 2022.

Expenditures

spend 11.0% more on healthcare

South Korea spends 8.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In Spain, that number is 9.1% of GDP as of 2019.

Geography

see 2.1 times more coastline

South Korea has a total of 2,413 km of coastline. In Spain, that number is 4,964 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, National Tax Service, South Korea, Agencia Tributaria, Spain.

Spain: At a glance

Spain is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 498,980 sq km. Spain's powerful world empire of the 16th and 17th centuries ultimately yielded command of the seas to England. Subsequent failure to embrace the mercantile and industrial revolutions caused the country to fall behind Britain, France, and Germany in economic and political power. Spain remained neutral in World War I and II but suffered through a devastating civil war (1936-39). A peaceful transition to democracy following the death of dictator Francisco FRANCO in 1975, and rapid economic modernization (Spain joined the EU in 1986) gave Spain a dynamic and rapidly growing economy and made it a global champion of freedom and human rights. More recently the government has had to focus on measures to reverse a severe economic recession that began in mid-2008. Austerity measures implemented to reduce a large budget deficit and reassure foreign investors have led to one of the highest unemployment rates in Europe.
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How big is Spain compared to South Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.

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