Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Bulgaria instead of South Korea, you would:
Health
live 7.4 years less
In South Korea, the average life expectancy is 83 years (80 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2022. In Bulgaria, that number is 76 years (72 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2022.
be 5.3 times more likely to be obese
In South Korea, 4.7% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Bulgaria, that number is 25.0% of people as of 2016.
Economy
pay a 73.7% lower top tax rate
South Korea has a top tax rate of 38.0% as of 2016. In Bulgaria, the top tax rate is 10.0% as of 2016.
make 40.8% less money
South Korea has a GDP per capita of $45,600 as of 2022, while in Bulgaria, the GDP per capita is $27,000 as of 2022.
be 49.3% more likely to be unemployed
In South Korea, 2.9% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Bulgaria, that number is 4.3% as of 2022.
be 59.0% more likely to live below the poverty line
In South Korea, 14.4% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Bulgaria, however, that number is 22.9% as of 2021.
Life
have 14.2% more children
In South Korea, there are approximately 6.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Bulgaria, there are 7.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 2.8 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 Bulgaria, on the other hand, 8.0 children do as of 2022.
Basic Needs
be 23.5% less likely to have internet access
In South Korea, approximately 98.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Bulgaria, about 75.0% do as of 2021.
Expenditures
spend 14.9% less on education
South Korea spends 4.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. Bulgaria spends 4.0% of total GDP on education as of 2020.
Geography
see 85.3% less coastline
South Korea has a total of 2,413 km of coastline. In Bulgaria, that number is 354 km.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, National Revenue Agency, Bulgaria, National Tax Service, South Korea.
Bulgaria: At a glance
How big is Bulgaria compared to South Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.