Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Korea instead of United Kingdom, you would:
Health
live 2.2 years longer
In United Kingdom, the average life expectancy is 81 years (80 years for men, 83 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 69.4% less likely to be obese
In United Kingdom, 27.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Korea, that number is 8.4% of people as of 2024.
see 23.1% less spent on your healthcare
United Kingdom spends $6,606 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Korea spends $5,081 as of 2024.
have 20.9% fewer doctors per person
United Kingdom has 33.0 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. South Korea has 26.1 as of 2022.
be 2.9 times more likely to die by suicide
United Kingdom has a suicide rate of 9.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Korea, it is 27.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 43.6% less likely to be unemployed
In United Kingdom, 4.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Korea, that number is 2.7% as of 2025.
be 22.6% less likely to live below the poverty line
In United Kingdom, 18.6% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In South Korea, however, that number is 14.4% as of 2016.
make 37.1% less money
United Kingdom has a GDP per capita of $57,602 as of 2025, while in South Korea, the GDP per capita is $36,227 as of 2025.
Life
be 50.0% less likely to die during childbirth
In United Kingdom, approximately 8.0 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 43.9% less likely to die during infancy
In United Kingdom, approximately 4.1 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 52.5% fewer children
In United Kingdom, there are approximately 9.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Korea, there are 4.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 22.0% less on healthcare
United Kingdom spends 11.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In South Korea, that number is 8.7% of GDP as of 2024.
Geography
see 80.6% less coastline
United Kingdom has a total of 12,429 km of coastline. In South Korea, that number is 2,413 km.
Safety
be 57.1% less likely to be murdered
United Kingdom has a homicide rate of 1.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Korea, that number is 0.5 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 2.9 times more likely to die in a road accident
In United Kingdom, road accidents kill 2.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Korea, they kill 6.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 13.4% more home broadband
United Kingdom has 42.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Korea has 47.8 as of 2024.
use 2.7 times more electricity
United Kingdom uses 4,195 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. South Korea uses 11,350 kWh as of 2024.
live with 5.9 times more strain on fresh water
United Kingdom withdraws 14% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Korea withdraws 85% as of 2022.
Environment
be 46.2% more likely to die from air pollution
In United Kingdom, air pollution causes 13.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Korea, it causes 19.0 as of 2019.
emit 2.7 times more CO2
United Kingdom emits 4.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. South Korea emits 11.4 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2017–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2016), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: United Kingdom vs. South Korea
South Korea: At a glance
How big is South Korea compared to United Kingdom? See an in-depth size comparison.