Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 7.7 years longer

In North Korea, the average life expectancy is 72 years (68 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2022. In Albania, that number is 79 years (77 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2022.

be 3.2 times more likely to be obese

In North Korea, 6.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Albania, that number is 21.7% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 10.6 times more money

North Korea has a GDP per capita of $1,700 as of 2015, while in Albania, the GDP per capita is $18,100 as of 2023.

be 3.9 times more likely to be unemployed

In North Korea, 3.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Albania, that number is 11.6% as of 2023.

Life

be 92.5% less likely to die during childbirth

In North Korea, approximately 107.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Albania, 8.0 women do as of 2020.

be 51.3% 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 Albania, on the other hand, 10.8 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 82.8% more likely to have access to electricity

In North Korea, approximately 55% of the population has electricity access as of 2022. In Albania, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

Geography

see 85.5% less coastline

North Korea has a total of 2,495 km of coastline. In Albania, that number is 362 km.

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

Albania: At a glance

Albania is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 27,398 sq km. Albania declared its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912, but was conquered by Italy in 1939, and occupied by Germany in 1943. Communist partisans took over the country in 1944. Albania allied itself first with the USSR (until 1960), and then with China (to 1978). In the early 1990s, Albania ended 46 years of xenophobic communist rule and established a multiparty democracy. The transition has proven challenging as successive governments have tried to deal with high unemployment, widespread corruption, dilapidated infrastructure, powerful organized crime networks, and combative political opponents. Albania has made progress in its democratic development since first holding multiparty elections in 1991, but deficiencies remain. International observers judged elections to be largely free and fair since the restoration of political stability following the collapse of pyramid schemes in 1997; however, each of Albania's post-communist elections have been marred by claims of electoral fraud. The 2009 general elections resulted in a coalition government, the first such in the country's history. In 2013, general elections achieved a peaceful transition of power and a second successive coalition government. Albania joined NATO in April 2009 and is a potential candidate for EU accession. Although Albania's economy continues to grow, it has slowed, and the country is still one of the poorest in Europe. A large informal economy and an inadequate energy and transportation infrastructure remain obstacles.
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How big is Albania compared to North Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.

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