Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Korea instead of Turkmenistan, you would:
Health
live 13.4 years longer
In Turkmenistan, the average life expectancy is 70 years (67 years for men, 73 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 62.3% less likely to be obese
In Turkmenistan, 22.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Korea, that number is 8.4% of people as of 2024.
see 4.0 times more spent on your healthcare
Turkmenistan spends $1,264 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Korea spends $5,081 as of 2024.
have 35.2% more doctors per person
Turkmenistan has 19.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. South Korea has 26.1 as of 2022.
have 18.7% more access to essential health services
Turkmenistan scores 75 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Korea scores 89 as of 2021.
be 4.0 times more likely to die by suicide
Turkmenistan has a suicide rate of 6.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Korea, it is 27.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 37.2% less likely to be unemployed
In Turkmenistan, 4.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Korea, that number is 2.7% as of 2025.
make 5.5 times more money
Turkmenistan has a GDP per capita of $6,540 as of 2025, while in South Korea, the GDP per capita is $36,227 as of 2025.
Life
be 20.0% less likely to die during childbirth
In Turkmenistan, approximately 5.0 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 92.4% less likely to die during infancy
In Turkmenistan, approximately 30.4 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 77.5% fewer children
In Turkmenistan, there are approximately 20.9 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 3.9 times more likely to have internet access
In Turkmenistan, approximately 25.3% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In South Korea, about 97.9% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 26.1% more on education
Turkmenistan spends 4.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. South Korea spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 57.8% more on healthcare
Turkmenistan spends 5.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Korea, that number is 8.7% of GDP as of 2024.
Safety
be 13.7% less likely to die in a road accident
In Turkmenistan, road accidents kill 8.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Korea, they kill 6.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 9.2 times more home broadband
Turkmenistan has 5.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. South Korea has 47.8 as of 2024.
live with 37.0% less strain on fresh water
Turkmenistan withdraws 135% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Korea withdraws 85% as of 2022.
use 4.1 times more electricity
Turkmenistan uses 2,778 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Korea uses 11,350 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 78.2% less likely to die from air pollution
In Turkmenistan, air pollution causes 87.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Korea, it causes 19.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2022). How we calculate this
Compare further: Turkmenistan vs. South Korea
South Korea: At a glance
How big is South Korea compared to Turkmenistan? See an in-depth size comparison.