Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 2.4 times more likely to be obese

In North Korea, 6.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Kyrgyzstan, that number is 16.6% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 3.8 times more money

North Korea has a GDP per capita of $1,700 as of 2015, while in Kyrgyzstan, the GDP per capita is $6,400 as of 2023.

be 34.7% more likely to be unemployed

In North Korea, 3.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Kyrgyzstan, that number is 4.0% as of 2023.

Life

be 53.3% less likely to die during childbirth

In North Korea, approximately 107.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Kyrgyzstan, 50.0 women do as of 2020.

have 41.7% more children

In North Korea, there are approximately 13.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Kyrgyzstan, there are 18.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 15.5% more 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 Kyrgyzstan, on the other hand, 25.7 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 82.3% 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 Kyrgyzstan, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2022.

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

Kyrgyzstan: At a glance

Kyrgyzstan is a sovereign country in Central Asia, with a total land area of approximately 191,801 sq km. A Central Asian country of incredible natural beauty and proud nomadic traditions, most of Kyrgyzstan was formally annexed to Russia in 1876. The Kyrgyz staged a major revolt against the Tsarist Empire in 1916 in which almost one-sixth of the Kyrgyz population was killed. Kyrgyzstan became a Soviet republic in 1936 and achieved independence in 1991 when the USSR dissolved. Nationwide demonstrations in the spring of 2005 resulted in the ouster of President Askar AKAEV, who had run the country since 1990. Former prime minister Kurmanbek BAKIEV overwhelmingly won the presidential election in the summer of 2005. Over the next few years, he manipulated the parliament to accrue new powers for the presidency. In July 2009, after months of harassment against his opponents and media critics, BAKIEV won re-election in a presidential campaign that the international community deemed flawed. In April 2010, violent protests in Bishkek led to the collapse of the BAKIEV regime and his eventual fleeing to Minsk, Belarus. His successor, Roza OTUNBAEVA, served as transitional president until Almazbek ATAMBAEV was inaugurated in December 2011, marking the first peaceful transfer of presidential power in independent Kyrgyzstan's history. Continuing concerns include: the trajectory of democratization, endemic corruption, poor interethnic relations, and terrorism.
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How big is Kyrgyzstan compared to North Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.

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