Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 1.2 years less

In South Korea, the average life expectancy is 83 years (80 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2022. In Finland, that number is 82 years (79 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022.

be 4.7 times more likely to be obese

In South Korea, 4.7% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Finland, that number is 22.2% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 13.6% more money

South Korea has a GDP per capita of $50,600 as of 2023, while in Finland, the GDP per capita is $57,500 as of 2023.

be 15.3% less likely to live below the poverty line

In South Korea, 14.4% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Finland, however, that number is 12.2% as of 2022.

be 2.7 times more likely to be unemployed

In South Korea, 2.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Finland, that number is 7.2% as of 2023.

pay a 35.8% higher top tax rate

South Korea has a top tax rate of 38.0% as of 2016. In Finland, the top tax rate is 51.6% as of 2016.

Life

be 25.8% less 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 Finland, on the other hand, 2.1 children do as of 2022.

have 47.4% more children

In South Korea, there are approximately 6.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Finland, there are 10.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Expenditures

spend 25.5% more on education

South Korea spends 4.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. Finland spends 5.9% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 14.3% more on healthcare

South Korea spends 8.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Finland, that number is 9.6% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 48.2% less coastline

South Korea has a total of 2,413 km of coastline. In Finland, that number is 1,250 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Finnish Tax Administration, The World Factbook, National Tax Service, South Korea.

Finland: At a glance

Finland is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 303,815 sq km. Finland was a province and then a grand duchy under Sweden from the 12th to the 19th centuries, and an autonomous grand duchy of Russia after 1809. It gained complete independence in 1917. During World War II, it successfully defended its independence through cooperation with Germany and resisted subsequent invasions by the Soviet Union - albeit with some loss of territory. In the subsequent half century, Finland transformed from a farm/forest economy to a diversified modern industrial economy; per capita income is among the highest in Western Europe. A member of the European Union since 1995, Finland was the only Nordic state to join the euro single currency at its initiation in January 1999. In the 21st century, the key features of Finland's modern welfare state are high quality education, promotion of equality, and a national social welfare system - currently challenged by an aging population and the fluctuations of an export-driven economy.
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How big is Finland compared to South Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.

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