Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 1.6 years less

In North Korea, the average life expectancy is 72 years (68 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2022. In Tanzania, that number is 70 years (68 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2022.

be 23.5% more likely to be obese

In North Korea, 6.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Tanzania, that number is 8.4% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 2.1 times more money

North Korea has a GDP per capita of $1,700 as of 2015, while in Tanzania, the GDP per capita is $3,600 as of 2023.

be 13.0% less likely to be unemployed

In North Korea, 3.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Tanzania, that number is 2.6% as of 2023.

Life

have 2.5 times more children

In North Korea, there are approximately 13.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Tanzania, there are 32.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 2.2 times more likely to die during childbirth

In North Korea, approximately 107.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Tanzania, 238.0 women do as of 2020.

be 18.2% less likely to be literate

In North Korea, the literacy rate is 100.0% as of 2015. In Tanzania, it is 81.8% as of 2021.

be 63.9% 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 Tanzania, on the other hand, 36.4 children do as of 2020.

Basic Needs

be 16.3% less 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 Tanzania, that number is 46% of people on average (77% in urban areas, and 23% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 23.8% less likely to have access to improved drinking water

In North Korea, approximately 94% of people have improved drinking water access (98% in urban areas, and 89% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Tanzania, that number is 72% of people on average (95% in urban areas, and 59% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Geography

see 42.9% less coastline

North Korea has a total of 2,495 km of coastline. In Tanzania, that number is 1,424 km.

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

Tanzania: At a glance

Tanzania is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 885,800 sq km. Shortly after achieving independence from Britain in the early 1960s, Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form the nation of Tanzania in 1964. One-party rule ended in 1995 with the first democratic elections held in the country since the 1970s. Zanzibar's semi-autonomous status and popular opposition led to two contentious elections since 1995, which the ruling party won despite international observers' claims of voting irregularities. The formation of a government of national unity between Zanzibar's two leading parties succeeded in minimizing electoral tension in 2010.
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How big is Tanzania compared to North Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.

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