Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 7.8 years less

In South Korea, the average life expectancy is 83 years (80 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2022. In Vanuatu, that number is 75 years (73 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2022.

be 5.4 times more likely to be obese

In South Korea, 4.7% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Vanuatu, that number is 25.2% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 93.9% less money

South Korea has a GDP per capita of $45,600 as of 2022, while in Vanuatu, the GDP per capita is $2,800 as of 2022.

be 82.5% more likely to be unemployed

In South Korea, 2.9% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Vanuatu, that number is 5.2% as of 2022.

be 10.4% more likely to live below the poverty line

In South Korea, 14.4% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Vanuatu, however, that number is 15.9% as of 2019.

Life

have 3.0 times more children

In South Korea, there are approximately 6.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Vanuatu, there are 20.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 11.8 times more likely to die during childbirth

In South Korea, approximately 8.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Vanuatu, 94.0 women do as of 2020.

be 5.0 times more likely to die during infancy

In South Korea, approximately 2.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Vanuatu, on the other hand, 14.3 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 30.0% less likely to have access to electricity

In South Korea, approximately 100% of the population has electricity access as of 2021. In Vanuatu, 70% of the population do as of 2021.

be 32.7% less likely to have internet access

In South Korea, approximately 98.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Vanuatu, about 66.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 51.1% less on education

South Korea spends 4.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. Vanuatu spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 52.4% less on healthcare

South Korea spends 8.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Vanuatu, that number is 4.0% of GDP as of 2020.

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

Vanuatu: At a glance

Vanuatu is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 12,189 sq km. Multiple waves of colonizers, each speaking a distinct language, migrated to the New Hebrides in the millennia preceding European exploration in the 18th century. This settlement pattern accounts for the complex linguistic diversity found on the archipelago to this day. The British and French, who settled the New Hebrides in the 19th century, agreed in 1906 to an Anglo-French Condominium, which administered the islands until independence in 1980, when the new name of Vanuatu was adopted.
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How big is Vanuatu compared to South Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.

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