Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Korea instead of Tajikistan, you would:
Health
live 11.7 years longer
In Tajikistan, the average life expectancy is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024. In South Korea, that number is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024.
be 63.7% less likely to be obese
In Tajikistan, 23.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Korea, that number is 8.4% of people as of 2024.
see 14.0 times more spent on your healthcare
Tajikistan spends $364 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Korea spends $5,081 as of 2024.
have 39.6% more doctors per person
Tajikistan has 18.7 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. South Korea has 26.1 as of 2022.
have 32.8% more access to essential health services
Tajikistan scores 67 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Korea scores 89 as of 2021.
be 11.3 times more likely to die by suicide
Tajikistan has a suicide rate of 2.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Korea, it is 27.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 61.3% less likely to be unemployed
In Tajikistan, 6.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Korea, that number is 2.7% as of 2025.
make 22.1 times more money
Tajikistan has a GDP per capita of $1,637 as of 2025, while in South Korea, the GDP per capita is $36,227 as of 2025.
Life
be 71.4% less likely to die during childbirth
In Tajikistan, approximately 14.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In South Korea, 4.0 women do as of 2023.
be 90.2% less likely to die during infancy
In Tajikistan, approximately 23.5 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In South Korea, on the other hand, 2.3 children do as of 2024.
have 81.4% fewer children
In Tajikistan, there are approximately 25.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Korea, there are 4.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 75.5% more likely to have internet access
In Tajikistan, approximately 55.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Korea, about 97.9% do as of 2024.
be 12.1% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Tajikistan, approximately 89% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In South Korea, 100% of people do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 16.7% more on healthcare
Tajikistan spends 7.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Korea, that number is 8.7% of GDP as of 2024.
Safety
be 46.1% less likely to be murdered
Tajikistan has a homicide rate of 0.9 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In South Korea, that number is 0.5 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 50.4% less likely to die in a road accident
In Tajikistan, road accidents kill 13.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Korea, they kill 6.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 48.8 times more home broadband
Tajikistan has 1.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. South Korea has 47.8 as of 2024.
use 7.6 times more electricity
Tajikistan uses 1,497 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Korea uses 11,350 kWh as of 2024.
live with 21.8% more strain on fresh water
Tajikistan withdraws 70% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Korea withdraws 85% as of 2022.
Environment
be 88.1% less likely to die from air pollution
In Tajikistan, air pollution causes 159.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Korea, it causes 19.0 as of 2019.
emit 12.3 times more CO2
Tajikistan emits 0.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. South Korea emits 11.4 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Tajikistan vs. South Korea
South Korea: At a glance
How big is South Korea compared to Tajikistan? See an in-depth size comparison.