Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Korea instead of Uganda, you would:
Health
live 15.1 years longer
In Uganda, the average life expectancy is 68 years (65 years for men, 71 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 11.6% less likely to be obese
In Uganda, 9.5% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Korea, that number is 8.4% of people as of 2024.
see 36.6 times more spent on your healthcare
Uganda spends $139 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Korea spends $5,081 as of 2024.
have 13.7 times more doctors per person
Uganda has 1.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. South Korea has 26.1 as of 2022.
have 81.6% more access to essential health services
Uganda scores 49 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Korea scores 89 as of 2021.
be 5.0 times more likely to die by suicide
Uganda has a suicide rate of 5.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Korea, it is 27.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 30.0 times more money
Uganda has a GDP per capita of $1,206 as of 2025, while in South Korea, the GDP per capita is $36,227 as of 2025.
Life
be 97.6% less likely to die during childbirth
In Uganda, approximately 170.0 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 93.6% less likely to die during infancy
In Uganda, approximately 35.9 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 86.4% fewer children
In Uganda, there are approximately 34.4 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 94.2% more likely to have access to electricity
In Uganda, approximately 52% of people have electricity access (76% in urban areas, and 42% in rural areas) as of 2023. In South Korea, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 10.9 times more likely to have internet access
In Uganda, approximately 8.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Korea, about 97.9% do as of 2024.
be 58.7% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Uganda, approximately 63% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In South Korea, 100% of people do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.1 times more on education
Uganda spends 2.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. South Korea spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 2.0 times more on healthcare
Uganda spends 4.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Korea, that number is 8.7% of GDP as of 2024.
Safety
be 94.6% less likely to be murdered
Uganda has a homicide rate of 9.0 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In South Korea, that number is 0.5 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 56.9% less likely to die in a road accident
In Uganda, road accidents kill 16.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Korea, they kill 6.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 227.6 times more home broadband
Uganda has 0.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Korea has 47.8 as of 2024.
use 119.1 times more electricity
Uganda uses 95 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Korea uses 11,350 kWh as of 2024.
live with 14.6 times more strain on fresh water
Uganda withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Korea withdraws 85% as of 2022.
Environment
be 68.3% less likely to die from air pollution
In Uganda, air pollution causes 60.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Korea, it causes 19.0 as of 2019.
emit 66.8 times more CO2
Uganda emits 0.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. South Korea emits 11.4 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: Uganda vs. South Korea
South Korea: At a glance
How big is South Korea compared to Uganda? See an in-depth size comparison.