Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 4.2 years longer

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

be 5.2 times more likely to be obese

In North Korea, 6.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Jordan, that number is 35.5% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 5.5 times more money

North Korea has a GDP per capita of $1,700 as of 2015, while in Jordan, the GDP per capita is $9,400 as of 2023.

be 6.0 times more likely to be unemployed

In North Korea, 3.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Jordan, that number is 17.9% as of 2023.

Life

be 61.7% less likely to die during childbirth

In North Korea, approximately 107.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Jordan, 41.0 women do as of 2020.

be 37.4% 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 Jordan, on the other hand, 13.9 children do as of 2022.

have 68.2% more children

In North Korea, there are approximately 13.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Jordan, there are 22.2 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 people have electricity access (36% in urban areas, and 11% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Jordan, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 99% in rural areas) as of 2022.

Geography

see 99.0% less coastline

North Korea has a total of 2,495 km of coastline. In Jordan, that number is 26 km.

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

Jordan: At a glance

Jordan is a sovereign country in Middle East, with a total land area of approximately 88,802 sq km. Following World War I and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, the League of Nations awarded Britain the mandate to govern much of the Middle East. Britain demarcated a semi-autonomous region of Transjordan from Palestine in the early 1920s. The area gained its independence in 1946 and thereafter became The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The country's long-time ruler, King HUSSEIN (1953-99), successfully navigated competing pressures from the major powers (US, USSR, and UK), various Arab states, Israel, and a large internal Palestinian population. Jordan lost the West Bank to Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. King HUSSEIN in 1988 permanently relinquished Jordanian claims to the West Bank; in 1994 he signed a peace treaty with Israel. King ABDALLAH II, King HUSSEIN's eldest son, assumed the throne following his father's death in 1999. He implemented modest political and economic reforms, but in the wake of the "Arab Revolution" across the Middle East, Jordanians continue to press for further political liberalization, government reforms, and economic improvements. In January 2014, Jordan assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2014-15 term.
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How big is Jordan compared to North Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.

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