Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 6.6 years longer

In North Korea, the average life expectancy is 72 years (68 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2022. In Brunei, that number is 78 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2022.

be 2.1 times more likely to be obese

In North Korea, 6.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Brunei, that number is 14.1% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 45.8 times more money

North Korea has a GDP per capita of $1,700 as of 2015, while in Brunei, the GDP per capita is $77,900 as of 2023.

be 75.7% more likely to be unemployed

In North Korea, 3.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Brunei, that number is 5.3% as of 2023.

Life

be 58.9% less likely to die during childbirth

In North Korea, approximately 107.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Brunei, 44.0 women do as of 2020.

be 52.6% 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 Brunei, on the other hand, 10.5 children do as of 2022.

have 19.7% more children

In North Korea, there are approximately 13.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Brunei, there are 15.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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 Brunei, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

Geography

see 93.5% less coastline

North Korea has a total of 2,495 km of coastline. In Brunei, that number is 161 km.

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

Brunei: At a glance

Brunei is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 5,265 sq km. The Sultanate of Brunei's influence peaked between the 15th and 17th centuries when its control extended over coastal areas of northwest Borneo and the southern Philippines. Brunei subsequently entered a period of decline brought on by internal strife over royal succession, colonial expansion of European powers, and piracy. In 1888, Brunei became a British protectorate; independence was achieved in 1984. The same family has ruled Brunei for over six centuries. Brunei benefits from extensive petroleum and natural gas fields, the source of one of the highest per capita GDPs in Asia.
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How big is Brunei compared to North Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.

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