Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Timor-Leste instead of South Korea, you would:

Health

be 19.1% less likely to be obese

In South Korea, 4.7% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Timor-Leste, that number is 3.8% of people as of 2016.

live 13.0 years less

In South Korea, the average life expectancy is 83 years (80 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2022. In Timor-Leste, that number is 70 years (68 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

be 42.4% less likely to be unemployed

In South Korea, 2.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Timor-Leste, that number is 1.5% as of 2023.

make 90.9% less money

South Korea has a GDP per capita of $50,600 as of 2023, while in Timor-Leste, the GDP per capita is $4,600 as of 2023.

be 2.9 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In South Korea, 14.4% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Timor-Leste, however, that number is 41.8% as of 2014.

Life

have 4.3 times more children

In South Korea, there are approximately 6.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Timor-Leste, there are 29.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 25.5 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 Timor-Leste, 204.0 women do as of 2020.

be 30.5% less likely to be literate

In South Korea, the literacy rate is 98.0% as of 2019. In Timor-Leste, it is 68.1% as of 2018.

be 11.7 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 Timor-Leste, on the other hand, 33.7 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 60.2% less likely to have internet access

In South Korea, approximately 98.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Timor-Leste, about 39.0% do as of 2021.

be 12.5% less likely to have access to improved drinking water

In South Korea, approximately 100% of people have improved drinking water access as of 2020. In Timor-Leste, 87% of people do as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 10.6% less on education

South Korea spends 4.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. Timor-Leste spends 4.2% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 17.9% more on healthcare

South Korea spends 8.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Timor-Leste, that number is 9.9% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 70.7% less coastline

South Korea has a total of 2,413 km of coastline. In Timor-Leste, that number is 706 km.

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

Timor-Leste: At a glance

Timor-Leste is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 14,874 sq km. The Portuguese began to trade with the island of Timor in the early 16th century and colonized it in mid-century. Skirmishing with the Dutch in the region eventually resulted in an 1859 treaty in which Portugal ceded the western portion of the island. Imperial Japan occupied Portuguese Timor from 1942 to 1945, but Portugal resumed colonial authority after the Japanese defeat in World War II. East Timor declared itself independent from Portugal on 28 November 1975 and was invaded and occupied by Indonesian forces nine days later. It was incorporated into Indonesia in July 1976 as the province of Timor Timur (East Timor). An unsuccessful campaign of pacification followed over the next two decades, during which an estimated 100,000 to 250,000 individuals lost their lives. On 30 August 1999, in a UN-supervised popular referendum, an overwhelming majority of the people of Timor-Leste voted for independence from Indonesia. However, in the next three weeks, anti-independence Timorese militias - organized and supported by the Indonesian military - commenced a large-scale, scorched-earth campaign of retribution. The militias killed approximately 1,400 Timorese and forcibly pushed 300,000 people into western Timor as refugees. Most of the country's infrastructure, including homes, irrigation systems, water supply systems, and schools, and nearly 100% of the country's electrical grid were destroyed. On 20 September 1999, Australian-led peacekeeping troops deployed to the country and brought the violence to an end. On 20 May 2002, Timor-Leste was internationally recognized as an independent state. In 2006, internal tensions threatened the new nation's security when a military strike led to violence and a breakdown of law and order. At Dili's request, an Australian-led International Stabilization Force (ISF) deployed to Timor-Leste, and the UN Security Council established the UN Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT), which included an authorized police presence of over 1,600 personnel. The ISF and UNMIT restored stability, allowing for presidential and parliamentary elections in 2007 in a largely peaceful atmosphere. In February 2008, a rebel group staged an unsuccessful attack against the president and prime minister. The ringleader was killed in the attack, and most of the rebels surrendered in April 2008. Since the attack, the government has enjoyed one of its longest periods of post-independence stability, including successful 2012 elections for both the parliament and president. In late 2012, the UN Security Council voted to end its peacekeeping mission in Timor-Leste and both the ISF and UNMIT departed the country by the end of the year.
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