Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Uruguay instead of South Korea, you would:
Health
have 79.1% more doctors per person
South Korea has 26.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Uruguay has 46.7 as of 2022.
be 10.1% less likely to die by suicide
South Korea has a suicide rate of 27.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Uruguay, it is 24.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 5.3 years less
In South Korea, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024. In Uruguay, that number is 78 years (74 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2024.
be 4.2 times more likely to be obese
In South Korea, 8.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Uruguay, that number is 35.0% of people as of 2024.
see 38.3% less spent on your healthcare
South Korea spends $5,081 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Uruguay spends $3,135 as of 2023.
Economy
be 2.8 times more likely to be unemployed
In South Korea, 2.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Uruguay, that number is 7.5% as of 2025.
make 30.4% less money
South Korea has a GDP per capita of $36,227 as of 2025, while in Uruguay, the GDP per capita is $25,216 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.1 times more children
In South Korea, there are approximately 4.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Uruguay, there are 9.8 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 Uruguay, 15.0 women do as of 2023.
be 2.7 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 Uruguay, on the other hand, 6.2 children do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 12.0% less on education
South Korea spends 5.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Uruguay spends 4.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Geography
see 72.6% less coastline
South Korea has a total of 2,413 km of coastline. In Uruguay, that number is 660 km.
Safety
be 23.4 times more likely to be murdered
South Korea has a homicide rate of 0.5 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Uruguay, that number is 11.2 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 88.4% more likely to die in a road accident
In South Korea, road accidents kill 6.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Uruguay, they kill 13.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 85.9% less strain on fresh water
South Korea withdraws 85% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Uruguay withdraws 12% as of 2022.
find 30.9% less home broadband
South Korea has 47.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Uruguay has 33.0 as of 2024.
use 66.6% less electricity
South Korea uses 11,350 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Uruguay uses 3,790 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 15.8% less likely to die from air pollution
In South Korea, air pollution causes 19.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Uruguay, it causes 16.0 as of 2019.
emit 77.4% less CO2
South Korea emits 11.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Uruguay emits 2.6 tonnes as of 2024.
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. Uruguay
Uruguay: At a glance
How big is Uruguay compared to South Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.