If you lived in Samoa instead of North Korea, you would:

Health

live 3.4 years longer

In North Korea, the average life expectancy is 72 years (68 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2022. In Samoa, that number is 75 years (72 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2022.

be 7.0 times more likely to be obese

In North Korea, 6.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Samoa, that number is 47.3% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 3.1 times more money

North Korea has a GDP per capita of $1,700 as of 2015, while in Samoa, the GDP per capita is $5,200 as of 2022.

be 3.3 times more likely to be unemployed

In North Korea, 3.1% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Samoa, that number is 10.0% as of 2022.

Life

be 44.9% less likely to die during childbirth

In North Korea, approximately 107.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Samoa, 59.0 women do as of 2020.

be 23.5% less likely to die during infancy

In North Korea, approximately 22.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Samoa, on the other hand, 17.0 children do as of 2020.

have 42.4% more children

In North Korea, there are approximately 13.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Samoa, there are 18.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 86.9% more likely to have access to electricity

In North Korea, approximately 53% of people have electricity access (36% in urban areas, and 11% in rural areas) as of 2021. In Samoa, that number is 98% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 98% in rural areas) as of 2021.

Geography

see 83.8% less coastline

North Korea has a total of 2,495 km of coastline. In Samoa, that number is 403 km.


The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Samoa: At a glance

Samoa is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 2,821 sq km. New Zealand occupied the German protectorate of Western Samoa at the outbreak of World War I in 1914. It continued to administer the islands as a mandate and then as a trust territory until 1962, when the islands became the first Polynesian nation to reestablish independence in the 20th century. The country dropped the "Western" from its name in 1997.
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How big is Samoa compared to North Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.

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