Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 5.7 years longer

In North Korea, the average life expectancy is 72 years (68 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2022. In Ecuador, that number is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2020.

be 2.9 times more likely to be obese

In North Korea, 6.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Ecuador, that number is 19.9% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 6.4 times more money

North Korea has a GDP per capita of $1,700 as of 2015, while in Ecuador, the GDP per capita is $10,900 as of 2022.

be 22.5% more likely to be unemployed

In North Korea, 3.1% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Ecuador, that number is 3.8% as of 2022.

Life

be 38.3% less likely to die during childbirth

In North Korea, approximately 107.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Ecuador, 66.0 women do as of 2020.

be 18.4% 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 Ecuador, on the other hand, 18.1 children do as of 2022.

have 34.1% more children

In North Korea, there are approximately 13.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Ecuador, there are 17.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 90.1% more likely to have access to electricity

In North Korea, approximately 53% of people have electricity access (36% in urban areas, and 11% in rural areas) as of 2021. In Ecuador, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 93% in rural areas) as of 2021.

Geography

see 10.3% less coastline

North Korea has a total of 2,495 km of coastline. In Ecuador, that number is 2,237 km.

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

Ecuador: At a glance

Ecuador is a sovereign country in South America, with a total land area of approximately 276,841 sq km. What is now Ecuador formed part of the northern Inca Empire until the Spanish conquest in 1533. Quito became a seat of Spanish colonial government in 1563 and part of the Viceroyalty of New Granada in 1717. The territories of the Viceroyalty - New Granada (Colombia), Venezuela, and Quito - gained their independence between 1819 and 1822 and formed a federation known as Gran Colombia. When Quito withdrew in 1830, the traditional name was changed in favor of the "Republic of the Equator." Between 1904 and 1942, Ecuador lost territories in a series of conflicts with its neighbors. A border war with Peru that flared in 1995 was resolved in 1999. Although Ecuador marked 30 years of civilian governance in 2004, the period was marred by political instability. Protests in Quito contributed to the mid-term ouster of three of Ecuador's last four democratically elected presidents. In late 2008, voters approved a new constitution, Ecuador's 20th since gaining independence. General elections were held in February 2013, and voters re-elected President Rafael CORREA.
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How big is Ecuador compared to North Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.

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