Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Korea instead of Bulgaria, you would:
Health
live 7.4 years longer
In Bulgaria, the average life expectancy is 76 years (72 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2022. In South Korea, that number is 83 years (80 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2022.
be 81.2% less likely to be obese
In Bulgaria, 25.0% of adults are obese as of 2016. In South Korea, that number is 4.7% of people as of 2016.
Economy
make 52.0% more money
Bulgaria has a GDP per capita of $33,300 as of 2023, while in South Korea, the GDP per capita is $50,600 as of 2023.
be 38.6% less likely to be unemployed
In Bulgaria, 4.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In South Korea, that number is 2.6% as of 2023.
be 30.1% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Bulgaria, 20.6% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In South Korea, however, that number is 14.4% as of 2016.
pay a 3.8 times higher top tax rate
Bulgaria has a top tax rate of 10.0% as of 2016. In South Korea, the top tax rate is 38.0% as of 2016.
Life
be 64.0% less likely to die during infancy
In Bulgaria, approximately 8.0 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In South Korea, on the other hand, 2.9 children do as of 2022.
have 12.4% fewer children
In Bulgaria, there are approximately 7.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Korea, there are 6.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022.
Basic Needs
be 30.7% more likely to have internet access
In Bulgaria, approximately 75.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In South Korea, about 98.0% do as of 2021.
Expenditures
spend 17.5% more on education
Bulgaria spends 4.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. South Korea spends 4.7% of total GDP on education as of 2019.
Geography
see 6.8 times more coastline
Bulgaria has a total of 354 km of coastline. In South Korea, that number is 2,413 km.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, National Revenue Agency, Bulgaria, National Tax Service, South Korea.
South Korea: At a glance
How big is South Korea compared to Bulgaria? See an in-depth size comparison.