Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 10.8 years longer

In North Korea, the average life expectancy is 72 years (68 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2022. In France, that number is 83 years (80 years for men, 86 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 France, that number is 21.6% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 27.0 times more money

North Korea has a GDP per capita of $1,700 as of 2015, while in France, the GDP per capita is $45,900 as of 2022.

be 2.4 times more likely to be unemployed

In North Korea, 3.1% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In France, that number is 7.3% as of 2022.

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 France, 8.0 women do as of 2020.

be 85.8% 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 France, on the other hand, 3.1 children do as of 2022.

have 17.4% fewer children

In North Korea, there are approximately 13.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In France, there are 10.9 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 the population has electricity access as of 2021. In France, 100% of the population do as of 2021.

Geography

see 94.5% more coastline

North Korea has a total of 2,495 km of coastline. In France, that number is 4,853 km.

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

France: At a glance

France is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 549,970 sq km. France today is one of the most modern countries in the world and is a leader among European nations. It plays an influential global role as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, NATO, the G-8, the G-20, the EU and other multilateral organizations. France rejoined NATO's integrated military command structure in 2009, reversing DE GAULLE's 1966 decision to take French forces out of NATO. Since 1958, it has constructed a hybrid presidential-parliamentary governing system resistant to the instabilities experienced in earlier, more purely parliamentary administrations. In recent decades, its reconciliation and cooperation with Germany have proved central to the economic integration of Europe, including the introduction of a common currency, the euro, in January 1999. In the early 21st century, five French overseas entities - French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, and Reunion - became French regions and were made part of France proper.
Read more

How big is France compared to North Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about France.or North Korea It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.