Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 11.1 years less

In South Korea, the average life expectancy is 83 years (80 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2022. In Guyana, that number is 72 years (70 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 Guyana, that number is 20.2% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 4.7 times more likely to be unemployed

In South Korea, 2.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Guyana, that number is 12.4% as of 2023.

be 2.4 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In South Korea, 14.4% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Guyana, however, that number is 35.0% as of 2006.

Life

have 2.4 times more children

In South Korea, there are approximately 6.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Guyana, there are 16.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 14.0 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 Guyana, 112.0 women do as of 2020.

be 7.7 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 Guyana, on the other hand, 22.1 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 13.3% less likely to have internet access

In South Korea, approximately 98.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Guyana, about 85.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 34.5% less on healthcare

South Korea spends 8.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Guyana, that number is 5.5% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 81.0% less coastline

South Korea has a total of 2,413 km of coastline. In Guyana, that number is 459 km.

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

Guyana: At a glance

Guyana is a sovereign country in South America, with a total land area of approximately 196,849 sq km. Originally a Dutch colony in the 17th century, by 1815 Guyana had become a British possession. The abolition of slavery led to settlement of urban areas by former slaves and the importation of indentured servants from India to work the sugar plantations. The resulting ethnocultural divide has persisted and has led to turbulent politics. Guyana achieved independence from the UK in 1966, and since then it has been ruled mostly by socialist-oriented governments. In 1992, Cheddi JAGAN was elected president in what is considered the country's first free and fair election since independence. After his death five years later, his wife, Janet JAGAN, became president but resigned in 1999 due to poor health. Her successor, Bharrat JAGDEO, was reelected in 2001 and again in 2006. Donald RAMOTAR was elected president in 2011.
Read more

How big is Guyana 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 Guyana.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.