Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 2.7 times more likely to be obese

In North Korea, 6.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Turkmenistan, that number is 18.6% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 8.6 times more money

North Korea has a GDP per capita of $1,700 as of 2015, while in Turkmenistan, the GDP per capita is $14,700 as of 2022.

be 37.3% more likely to be unemployed

In North Korea, 3.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Turkmenistan, that number is 4.1% as of 2023.

Life

be 95.3% less likely to die during childbirth

In North Korea, approximately 107.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Turkmenistan, 5.0 women do as of 2020.

have 27.3% more children

In North Korea, there are approximately 13.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, there are 16.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 69.4% 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 Turkmenistan, on the other hand, 37.6 children do as of 2022.

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 Turkmenistan, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

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

Turkmenistan: At a glance

Turkmenistan is a sovereign country in Central Asia, with a total land area of approximately 469,930 sq km. Present-day Turkmenistan covers territory that has been at the crossroads of civilizations for centuries. The area was ruled in antiquity by various Persian empires, and was conquered by Alexander the Great, Muslim crusaders, the Mongols, Turkic warriors, and eventually the Russians. In medieval times Merv (today known as Mary) was one of the great cities of the Islamic world and an important stop on the Silk Road. Annexed by Russia in the late 1800s, Turkmenistan later figured prominently in the anti-Bolshevik movement in Central Asia. In 1924, Turkmenistan became a Soviet republic; it achieved independence upon the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. Extensive hydrocarbon/natural gas reserves, which have yet to be fully exploited, have begun to transform the country. Turkmenistan is moving to expand its extraction and delivery projects. The Government of Turkmenistan is actively working to diversify its gas export routes beyond the still important Russian pipeline network. In 2010, new gas export pipelines that carry Turkmen gas to China and to northern Iran began operating, effectively ending the Russian monopoly on Turkmen gas exports. President for Life Saparmurat NYYAZOW died in December 2006, and Turkmenistan held its first multi-candidate presidential election in February 2007. Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW, a deputy cabinet chairman under NYYAZOW, emerged as the country's new president; he was chosen as president again in February 2012, in an election that the OSCE said lacked the freedoms necessary to create a competitive environment.
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