Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Denmark instead of South Korea, you would:

Health

live 1.3 years less

In South Korea, the average life expectancy is 83 years (80 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2022. In Denmark, that number is 82 years (80 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2022.

be 4.2 times more likely to be obese

In South Korea, 4.7% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Denmark, that number is 19.7% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 31.4% more money

South Korea has a GDP per capita of $45,600 as of 2022, while in Denmark, the GDP per capita is $59,900 as of 2022.

be 13.9% less likely to live below the poverty line

In South Korea, 14.4% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Denmark, however, that number is 12.4% as of 2021.

be 54.9% more likely to be unemployed

In South Korea, 2.9% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Denmark, that number is 4.4% as of 2022.

pay a 46.8% higher top tax rate

South Korea has a top tax rate of 38.0% as of 2016. In Denmark, the top tax rate is 55.8% as of 2017.

Life

be 37.5% less likely to die during childbirth

In South Korea, approximately 8.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Denmark, 5.0 women do as of 2020.

have 63.3% more children

In South Korea, there are approximately 6.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Denmark, there are 11.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Expenditures

spend 36.2% more on education

South Korea spends 4.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. Denmark spends 6.4% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 25.0% more on healthcare

South Korea spends 8.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Denmark, that number is 10.5% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 3.0 times more coastline

South Korea has a total of 2,413 km of coastline. In Denmark, that number is 7,314 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Danish Central Tax Administration, National Tax Service, South Korea.

Denmark: At a glance

Denmark is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 42,434 sq km. Once the seat of Viking raiders and later a major north European power, Denmark has evolved into a modern, prosperous nation that is participating in the general political and economic integration of Europe. It joined NATO in 1949 and the EEC (now the EU) in 1973. However, the country has opted out of certain elements of the European Union's Maastricht Treaty, including the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), European defense cooperation, and issues concerning certain justice and home affairs.
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How big is Denmark compared to South Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.

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