Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 2.8 years less

In North Korea, the average life expectancy is 72 years (68 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2022. In Peru, that number is 69 years (65 years for men, 73 years for women) as of 2022.

be 2.9 times more likely to be obese

In North Korea, 6.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Peru, that number is 19.7% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 8.9 times more money

North Korea has a GDP per capita of $1,700 as of 2015, while in Peru, the GDP per capita is $15,100 as of 2023.

be 60.7% more likely to be unemployed

In North Korea, 3.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Peru, that number is 4.8% as of 2023.

Life

be 35.5% less likely to die during childbirth

In North Korea, approximately 107.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Peru, 69.0 women do as of 2020.

be 51.4% 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 Peru, on the other hand, 10.8 children do as of 2022.

have 26.5% more children

In North Korea, there are approximately 13.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Peru, there are 16.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 75.9% 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 Peru, that number is 96% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 84% in rural areas) as of 2022.

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

Peru: At a glance

Peru is a sovereign country in South America, with a total land area of approximately 1,279,996 sq km. Ancient Peru was the seat of several prominent Andean civilizations, most notably that of the Incas whose empire was captured by Spanish conquistadors in 1533. Peruvian independence was declared in 1821, and remaining Spanish forces were defeated in 1824. After a dozen years of military rule, Peru returned to democratic leadership in 1980, but experienced economic problems and the growth of a violent insurgency. President Alberto FUJIMORI's election in 1990 ushered in a decade that saw a dramatic turnaround in the economy and significant progress in curtailing guerrilla activity. Nevertheless, the president's increasing reliance on authoritarian measures and an economic slump in the late 1990s generated mounting dissatisfaction with his regime, which led to his resignation in 2000. A caretaker government oversaw new elections in the spring of 2001, which installed Alejandro TOLEDO Manrique as the new head of government - Peru's first democratically elected president of indigenous ethnicity. The presidential election of 2006 saw the return of Alan GARCIA Perez who, after a disappointing presidential term from 1985 to 1990, oversaw a robust economic rebound. In June 2011, former army officer Ollanta HUMALA Tasso was elected president, defeating Keiko FUJIMORI Higuchi, the daughter of Alberto FUJIMORI. Since his election, HUMALA has carried on the sound, market-oriented economic policies of the three preceding administrations.
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