Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 10.1 years less

In South Korea, the average life expectancy is 83 years (80 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2022. In Guatemala, that number is 73 years (71 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2022.

be 4.5 times more likely to be obese

In South Korea, 4.7% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Guatemala, that number is 21.2% of people as of 2016.

Economy

pay a 81.6% lower top tax rate

South Korea has a top tax rate of 38.0% as of 2016. In Guatemala, the top tax rate is 7.0% as of 2016.

make 74.9% less money

South Korea has a GDP per capita of $50,600 as of 2023, while in Guatemala, the GDP per capita is $12,700 as of 2023.

be 4.1 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In South Korea, 14.4% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Guatemala, however, that number is 59.3% as of 2014.

Life

have 3.1 times more children

In South Korea, there are approximately 6.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Guatemala, there are 21.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 12.0 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 Guatemala, 96.0 women do as of 2020.

be 15.0% less likely to be literate

In South Korea, the literacy rate is 98.0% as of 2019. In Guatemala, it is 83.3% as of 2021.

be 9.1 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 Guatemala, on the other hand, 26.2 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 48.0% less likely to have internet access

In South Korea, approximately 98.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Guatemala, about 51.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 34.0% less on education

South Korea spends 4.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. Guatemala spends 3.1% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

spend 22.6% less on healthcare

South Korea spends 8.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Guatemala, that number is 6.5% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 83.4% less coastline

South Korea has a total of 2,413 km of coastline. In Guatemala, that number is 400 km.

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

Guatemala: At a glance

Guatemala is a sovereign country in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 107,159 sq km. The Maya civilization flourished in Guatemala and surrounding regions during the first millennium A.D. After almost three centuries as a Spanish colony, Guatemala won its independence in 1821. During the second half of the 20th century, it experienced a variety of military and civilian governments, as well as a 36-year guerrilla war. In 1996, the government signed a peace agreement formally ending the internal conflict, which had left more than 200,000 people dead and had created, by some estimates, about 1 million refugees.
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How big is Guatemala compared to South Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.

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