Quality of life comparison
If you lived in North Korea instead of Swaziland, you would:
Health
live 9.5 years longer
In Swaziland, the average life expectancy is 64 years (61 years for men, 67 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 59.6% less likely to be obese
In Swaziland, 29.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In North Korea, that number is 11.9% of people as of 2024.
have 21.4% more access to essential health services
Swaziland scores 56 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. North Korea scores 68 as of 2021.
be 65.8% less likely to die by suicide
Swaziland has a suicide rate of 27.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In North Korea, it is 9.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 89.6% less likely to be unemployed
In Swaziland, 34.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In North Korea, that number is 3.5% as of 2025.
Life
be 43.2% less likely to die during childbirth
In Swaziland, approximately 118.0 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 68.5% less likely to die during infancy
In Swaziland, approximately 42.2 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 45.6% fewer children
In Swaziland, there are approximately 23.6 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 16.8% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Swaziland, approximately 80% of people have access to drinking water (98% in urban areas, and 74% 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 33.4% less likely to have access to electricity
In Swaziland, approximately 86% of people have electricity access (91% in urban areas, and 85% 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.
Infrastructure
live with 64.2% less strain on fresh water
Swaziland withdraws 78% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. North Korea withdraws 28% as of 2022.
use 34.3% less electricity
Swaziland uses 1,200 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. North Korea uses 789 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 30.3% more likely to die from air pollution
In Swaziland, air pollution causes 66.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In North Korea, it causes 86.0 as of 2019.
emit 2.8 times more CO2
Swaziland emits 0.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. North Korea emits 2.5 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Swaziland vs. North Korea
North Korea: At a glance
How big is North Korea compared to Swaziland? See an in-depth size comparison.