Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 10.5 years less

In South Korea, the average life expectancy is 83 years (80 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2022. In Bolivia, that number is 72 years (71 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2022.

be 4.3 times more likely to be obese

In South Korea, 4.7% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Bolivia, that number is 20.2% of people as of 2016.

Economy

pay a 65.8% lower top tax rate

South Korea has a top tax rate of 38.0% as of 2016. In Bolivia, the top tax rate is 13.0% as of 2016.

make 80.8% less money

South Korea has a GDP per capita of $50,600 as of 2023, while in Bolivia, the GDP per capita is $9,700 as of 2023.

be 16.7% more likely to be unemployed

In South Korea, 2.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Bolivia, that number is 3.1% as of 2023.

be 2.5 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In South Korea, 14.4% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Bolivia, however, that number is 36.4% as of 2021.

Life

have 2.5 times more children

In South Korea, there are approximately 6.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Bolivia, there are 17.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 20.1 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 Bolivia, 161.0 women do as of 2020.

be 7.8 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 Bolivia, on the other hand, 22.3 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 32.7% less likely to have internet access

In South Korea, approximately 98.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Bolivia, about 66.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 2.1 times more on education

South Korea spends 4.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. Bolivia spends 9.8% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Autoridad de Impugnación Tributaria (AIT), Bolivia, The World Factbook, National Tax Service, South Korea.

Bolivia: At a glance

Bolivia is a sovereign country in South America, with a total land area of approximately 1,083,301 sq km. Bolivia, named after independence fighter Simon BOLIVAR, broke away from Spanish rule in 1825; much of its subsequent history has consisted of a series of nearly 200 coups and countercoups. Democratic civilian rule was established in 1982, but leaders have faced difficult problems of deep-seated poverty, social unrest, and illegal drug production. In December 2005, Bolivians elected Movement Toward Socialism leader Evo MORALES president - by the widest margin of any leader since the restoration of civilian rule in 1982 - after he ran on a promise to change the country's traditional political class and empower the nation's poor, indigenous majority. In December 2009, President MORALES easily won reelection, and his party took control of the legislative branch of the government, which will allow him to continue his process of change. In October 2011, the country held its first judicial elections to select judges for the four highest courts.
Read more

How big is Bolivia compared to South Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Bolivia.or South Korea It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.