Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 9.7 years longer

In North Korea, the average life expectancy is 72 years (68 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2022. In Portugal, that number is 82 years (78 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022.

be 3.1 times more likely to be obese

In North Korea, 6.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Portugal, that number is 20.8% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 24.5 times more money

North Korea has a GDP per capita of $1,700 as of 2015, while in Portugal, the GDP per capita is $41,700 as of 2023.

be 2.2 times more likely to be unemployed

In North Korea, 3.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Portugal, that number is 6.5% as of 2023.

Life

be 88.8% less likely to die during childbirth

In North Korea, approximately 107.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Portugal, 12.0 women do as of 2020.

be 88.7% 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 Portugal, on the other hand, 2.5 children do as of 2022.

have 38.6% fewer children

In North Korea, there are approximately 13.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Portugal, there are 8.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2020.

Basic Needs

be 82.8% more likely to have access to electricity

In North Korea, approximately 55% of the population has electricity access as of 2022. In Portugal, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

Geography

see 28.1% less coastline

North Korea has a total of 2,495 km of coastline. In Portugal, that number is 1,793 km.

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

Portugal: At a glance

Portugal is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 91,470 sq km. Following its heyday as a global maritime power during the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal lost much of its wealth and status with the destruction of Lisbon in a 1755 earthquake, occupation during the Napoleonic Wars, and the independence of Brazil, its wealthiest colony, in 1822. A 1910 revolution deposed the monarchy; for most of the next six decades, repressive governments ran the country. In 1974, a left-wing military coup installed broad democratic reforms. The following year, Portugal granted independence to all of its African colonies. Portugal is a founding member of NATO and entered the EC (now the EU) in 1986.
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How big is Portugal compared to North Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.

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