Quality of life comparison
If you lived in North Korea instead of Madagascar, you would:
Health
live 3.6 years longer
In Madagascar, the average life expectancy is 68 years (67 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022. In North Korea, that number is 72 years (68 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2022.
be 28.3% more likely to be obese
In Madagascar, 5.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In North Korea, that number is 6.8% of people as of 2016.
Economy
make 13.3% more money
Madagascar has a GDP per capita of $1,500 as of 2022, while in North Korea, the GDP per capita is $1,700 as of 2015.
be 61.6% more likely to be unemployed
In Madagascar, 1.9% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In North Korea, that number is 3.1% as of 2022.
Life
be 72.7% less likely to die during childbirth
In Madagascar, approximately 392.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In North Korea, 107.0 women do as of 2020.
be 29.4% more likely to be literate
In Madagascar, the literacy rate is 77.3% as of 2021. In North Korea, it is 100.0% as of 2015.
be 43.1% less likely to die during infancy
In Madagascar, approximately 39.0 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In North Korea, on the other hand, 22.2 children do as of 2022.
have 52.2% fewer children
In Madagascar, there are approximately 27.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In North Korea, there are 13.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 49.9% more likely to have access to electricity
In Madagascar, approximately 35% of people have electricity access (73% in urban areas, and 11% in rural areas) as of 2021. In North Korea, that number is 53% of people on average (36% in urban areas, and 11% in rural areas) as of 2021.
be 68.4% more likely to have access to improved drinking water
In Madagascar, approximately 56% of people have improved drinking water access (85% in urban areas, and 38% in rural areas) as of 2020. In North Korea, that number is 94% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 89% in rural areas) as of 2020.
Geography
see 48.3% less coastline
Madagascar has a total of 4,828 km of coastline. In North Korea, that number is 2,495 km.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.
North Korea: At a glance
How big is North Korea compared to Madagascar? See an in-depth size comparison.