Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Belize instead of South Korea, you would:

Health

live 7.2 years less

In South Korea, the average life expectancy is 83 years (80 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2022. In Belize, that number is 76 years (74 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2022.

be 5.1 times more likely to be obese

In South Korea, 4.7% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Belize, that number is 24.1% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 74.7% less money

South Korea has a GDP per capita of $50,600 as of 2023, while in Belize, the GDP per capita is $12,800 as of 2023.

be 3.1 times more likely to be unemployed

In South Korea, 2.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Belize, that number is 8.3% as of 2023.

be 2.8 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In South Korea, 14.4% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Belize, however, that number is 41.0% as of 2013.

Life

have 2.6 times more children

In South Korea, there are approximately 6.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Belize, there are 17.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 16.2 times more likely to die during childbirth

In South Korea, approximately 8.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Belize, 130.0 women do as of 2020.

be 3.9 times more likely to die during infancy

In South Korea, approximately 2.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Belize, on the other hand, 11.2 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 36.7% less likely to have internet access

In South Korea, approximately 98.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Belize, about 62.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 17.9% less on healthcare

South Korea spends 8.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Belize, that number is 6.9% of GDP as of 2020.

spend 85.1% more on education

South Korea spends 4.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. Belize spends 8.7% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

Geography

see 84.0% less coastline

South Korea has a total of 2,413 km of coastline. In Belize, that number is 386 km.

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

Belize: At a glance

Belize is a sovereign country in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 22,806 sq km. Belize was the site of several Mayan city states until their decline at the end of the first millennium A.D. The British and Spanish disputed the region in the 17th and 18th centuries; it formally became the colony of British Honduras in 1854. Territorial disputes between the UK and Guatemala delayed the independence of Belize until 1981. Guatemala refused to recognize the new nation until 1992 and the two countries are involved in an ongoing border dispute. Tourism has become the mainstay of the economy. Current concerns include the country's heavy foreign debt burden, high unemployment, growing involvement in the Mexican and South American drug trade, high crime rates, and one of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in Central America.
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How big is Belize compared to South Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.

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