Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 3.0 times more likely to be obese

In North Korea, 6.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Mongolia, that number is 20.6% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 9.6 times more money

North Korea has a GDP per capita of $1,700 as of 2015, while in Mongolia, the GDP per capita is $16,300 as of 2023.

be 2.0 times more likely to be unemployed

In North Korea, 3.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Mongolia, that number is 6.1% as of 2023.

Life

be 63.6% less likely to die during childbirth

In North Korea, approximately 107.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Mongolia, 39.0 women do as of 2020.

have 12.9% more children

In North Korea, there are approximately 13.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Mongolia, there are 14.9 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 Mongolia, that number is 100% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 73% in rural areas) as of 2022.

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

Mongolia: At a glance

Mongolia is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 1,553,556 sq km. The Mongols gained fame in the 13th century when under Chinggis KHAAN they established a huge Eurasian empire through conquest. After his death the empire was divided into several powerful Mongol states, but these broke apart in the 14th century. The Mongols eventually retired to their original steppe homelands and in the late 17th century came under Chinese rule. Mongolia won its independence in 1921 with Soviet backing and a communist regime was installed in 1924. The modern country of Mongolia, however, represents only part of the Mongols' historical homeland; more ethnic Mongolians live in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China than in Mongolia. Following a peaceful democratic revolution, the ex-communist Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP) won elections in 1990 and 1992, but was defeated by the Democratic Union Coalition (DUC) in the 1996 parliamentary election. The MPRP won an overwhelming majority in the 2000 parliamentary election, but the party lost seats in the 2004 election and shared power with democratic coalition parties from 2004-08. The MPRP regained a solid majority in the 2008 parliamentary elections but nevertheless formed a coalition government with the Democratic Party that lasted until January 2012. In 2009, current President ELBEGDORJ of the Democratic Party was elected to office and was re-elected for his second term in June 2013. In 2010, the MPRP voted to retake the name of the Mongolian People's Party (MPP), a name it used in the early 1920s. Shortly thereafter, a new party was formed by former president ENKHBAYAR, which adopted the MPRP name. In the 2012 Parliamentary elections, a coalition of four political parties led by the Democratic Party, gained control of the Parliament.
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