Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Korea instead of Uzbekistan, you would:
Health
live 11.1 years longer
In Uzbekistan, the average life expectancy is 73 years (70 years for men, 76 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 73.2% less likely to be obese
In Uzbekistan, 31.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Korea, that number is 8.4% of people as of 2024.
see 6.8 times more spent on your healthcare
Uzbekistan spends $749 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Korea spends $5,081 as of 2024.
have 18.7% more access to essential health services
Uzbekistan scores 75 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Korea scores 89 as of 2021.
be 3.3 times more likely to die by suicide
Uzbekistan has a suicide rate of 8.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Korea, it is 27.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 42.0% less likely to be unemployed
In Uzbekistan, 4.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Korea, that number is 2.7% as of 2025.
make 9.1 times more money
Uzbekistan has a GDP per capita of $3,968 as of 2025, while in South Korea, the GDP per capita is $36,227 as of 2025.
Life
be 84.6% less likely to die during childbirth
In Uzbekistan, approximately 26.0 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 82.0% less likely to die during infancy
In Uzbekistan, approximately 12.8 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 81.6% fewer children
In Uzbekistan, there are approximately 25.6 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 28.8% more on healthcare
Uzbekistan spends 6.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Korea, that number is 8.7% of GDP as of 2024.
Safety
be 65.7% less likely to be murdered
Uzbekistan has a homicide rate of 1.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Korea, that number is 0.5 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 25.8% less likely to die in a road accident
In Uzbekistan, road accidents kill 9.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Korea, they kill 6.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 37.6% more home broadband
Uzbekistan has 34.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Korea has 47.8 as of 2024.
live with 30.7% less strain on fresh water
Uzbekistan withdraws 123% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Korea withdraws 85% as of 2022.
use 5.5 times more electricity
Uzbekistan uses 2,059 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Korea uses 11,350 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 83.8% less likely to die from air pollution
In Uzbekistan, air pollution causes 117.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Korea, it causes 19.0 as of 2019.
emit 2.8 times more CO2
Uzbekistan emits 4.1 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: Uzbekistan vs. South Korea
South Korea: At a glance
How big is South Korea compared to Uzbekistan? See an in-depth size comparison.