Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 10.8 years longer

In North Korea, the average life expectancy is 72 years (68 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2022. In Spain, that number is 83 years (80 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022.

be 3.5 times more likely to be obese

In North Korea, 6.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Spain, that number is 23.8% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 27.3 times more money

North Korea has a GDP per capita of $1,700 as of 2015, while in Spain, the GDP per capita is $46,400 as of 2023.

be 4.0 times more likely to be unemployed

In North Korea, 3.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Spain, that number is 12.1% as of 2023.

Life

be 97.2% less likely to die during childbirth

In North Korea, approximately 107.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Spain, 3.0 women do as of 2020.

be 88.9% 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 Spain, on the other hand, 2.5 children do as of 2022.

have 46.2% fewer children

In North Korea, there are approximately 13.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Spain, there are 7.1 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 the population has electricity access as of 2022. In Spain, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

Geography

see 99.0% more coastline

North Korea has a total of 2,495 km of coastline. In Spain, that number is 4,964 km.

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

Spain: At a glance

Spain is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 498,980 sq km. Spain's powerful world empire of the 16th and 17th centuries ultimately yielded command of the seas to England. Subsequent failure to embrace the mercantile and industrial revolutions caused the country to fall behind Britain, France, and Germany in economic and political power. Spain remained neutral in World War I and II but suffered through a devastating civil war (1936-39). A peaceful transition to democracy following the death of dictator Francisco FRANCO in 1975, and rapid economic modernization (Spain joined the EU in 1986) gave Spain a dynamic and rapidly growing economy and made it a global champion of freedom and human rights. More recently the government has had to focus on measures to reverse a severe economic recession that began in mid-2008. Austerity measures implemented to reduce a large budget deficit and reassure foreign investors have led to one of the highest unemployment rates in Europe.
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How big is Spain compared to North Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.

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