Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Korea instead of Vietnam, you would:
Health
live 8.9 years longer
In Vietnam, the average life expectancy is 75 years (70 years for men, 79 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.
see 7.4 times more spent on your healthcare
Vietnam spends $690 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Korea spends $5,081 as of 2024.
have 2.4 times more doctors per person
Vietnam has 11.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. South Korea has 26.1 as of 2022.
have 30.9% more access to essential health services
Vietnam scores 68 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Korea scores 89 as of 2021.
be 3.5 times more likely to be obese
In Vietnam, 2.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Korea, that number is 8.4% of people as of 2024.
be 3.8 times more likely to die by suicide
Vietnam has a suicide rate of 7.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Korea, it is 27.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 7.2 times more money
Vietnam has a GDP per capita of $5,066 as of 2025, while in South Korea, the GDP per capita is $36,227 as of 2025.
be 76.3% more likely to be unemployed
In Vietnam, 1.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Korea, that number is 2.7% as of 2025.
Life
be 91.7% less likely to die during childbirth
In Vietnam, approximately 48.0 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 80.8% less likely to die during infancy
In Vietnam, approximately 12.0 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 65.0% fewer children
In Vietnam, there are approximately 13.4 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 16.3% more likely to have internet access
In Vietnam, approximately 84.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Korea, about 97.9% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 87.2% more on education
Vietnam spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. South Korea spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 90.4% more on healthcare
Vietnam spends 4.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Korea, that number is 8.7% of GDP as of 2024.
Geography
see 29.9% less coastline
Vietnam has a total of 3,444 km of coastline. In South Korea, that number is 2,413 km.
Safety
be 61.0% less likely to die in a road accident
In Vietnam, road accidents kill 17.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Korea, they kill 6.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 2.0 times more home broadband
Vietnam has 23.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Korea has 47.8 as of 2024.
use 4.4 times more electricity
Vietnam uses 2,585 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Korea uses 11,350 kWh as of 2024.
live with 4.7 times more strain on fresh water
Vietnam withdraws 18% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Korea withdraws 85% as of 2022.
Environment
be 63.5% less likely to die from air pollution
In Vietnam, air pollution causes 52.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Korea, it causes 19.0 as of 2019.
emit 2.7 times more CO2
Vietnam emits 4.3 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), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Vietnam vs. South Korea
South Korea: At a glance
How big is South Korea compared to Vietnam? See an in-depth size comparison.