Quality of life comparison
If you lived in North Korea instead of Sudan, you would:
Health
live 7.2 years longer
In Sudan, the average life expectancy is 67 years (63 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024. In North Korea, that number is 74 years (72 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2024.
be 32.8% less likely to be obese
In Sudan, 17.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In North Korea, that number is 11.9% of people as of 2024.
have 14.5 times more doctors per person
Sudan has 2.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2017. North Korea has 36.3 as of 2017.
have 54.5% more access to essential health services
Sudan scores 44 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. North Korea scores 68 as of 2021.
be 2.9 times more likely to die by suicide
Sudan has a suicide rate of 3.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In North Korea, it is 9.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 69.1% less likely to be unemployed
In Sudan, 11.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2023. In North Korea, that number is 3.5% as of 2025.
Life
be 73.8% less likely to die during childbirth
In Sudan, approximately 256.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In North Korea, 67.0 women do as of 2023.
be 64.7% more likely to be literate
In Sudan, the literacy rate is 60.7% as of 2018. In North Korea, it is 100.0% as of 2015.
be 69.0% less likely to die during infancy
In Sudan, approximately 42.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In North Korea, on the other hand, 13.3 children do as of 2024.
have 61.0% fewer children
In Sudan, there are approximately 33.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In North Korea, there are 12.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 44.7% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Sudan, approximately 65% of people have access to drinking water (74% in urban areas, and 60% in rural areas) as of 2024. In North Korea, that number is 94% of people on average (97% in urban areas, and 89% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 12.9% less likely to have access to electricity
In Sudan, approximately 66% of people have electricity access (87% in urban areas, and 54% in rural areas) as of 2023. In North Korea, that number is 58% of people on average (36% in urban areas, and 11% in rural areas) as of 2023.
Geography
see 2.9 times more coastline
Sudan has a total of 853 km of coastline. In North Korea, that number is 2,495 km.
Infrastructure
live with 76.6% less strain on fresh water
Sudan withdraws 119% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. North Korea withdraws 28% as of 2022.
use 3.5 times more electricity
Sudan uses 223 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. North Korea uses 789 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 22.9% more likely to die from air pollution
In Sudan, air pollution causes 70.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In North Korea, it causes 86.0 as of 2019.
emit 5.8 times more CO2
Sudan emits 0.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. North Korea emits 2.5 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2017–2025), The World Factbook (2015–2023), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Sudan vs. North Korea
North Korea: At a glance
How big is North Korea compared to Sudan? See an in-depth size comparison.