Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in United Arab Emirates instead of South Korea, you would:

Health

live 3.4 years less

In South Korea, the average life expectancy is 83 years (80 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2022. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 80 years (78 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2022.

be 6.7 times more likely to be obese

In South Korea, 4.7% of adults are obese as of 2016. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 31.7% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 49.4% more money

South Korea has a GDP per capita of $50,600 as of 2023, while in United Arab Emirates, the GDP per capita is $75,600 as of 2023.

be 35.4% more likely to live below the poverty line

In South Korea, 14.4% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In United Arab Emirates, however, that number is 19.5% as of 2003.

Life

have 54.6% more children

In South Korea, there are approximately 6.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In United Arab Emirates, there are 10.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 79.1% 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 United Arab Emirates, on the other hand, 5.1 children do as of 2022.

Expenditures

spend 17.0% less on education

South Korea spends 4.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. United Arab Emirates spends 3.9% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 34.5% less on healthcare

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

Geography

see 45.4% less coastline

South Korea has a total of 2,413 km of coastline. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 1,318 km.

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

United Arab Emirates: At a glance

United Arab Emirates is a sovereign country in Middle East, with a total land area of approximately 83,600 sq km. The Trucial States of the Persian Gulf coast granted the UK control of their defense and foreign affairs in 19th century treaties. In 1971, six of these states - Abu Dhabi, 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah, Dubayy, and Umm al Qaywayn - merged to form the United Arab Emirates (UAE). They were joined in 1972 by Ra's al Khaymah. The UAE's per capita GDP is on par with those of leading West European nations. Its high oil revenues and its moderate foreign policy stance have allowed the UAE to play a vital role in the affairs of the region. For more than three decades, oil and global finance drove the UAE's economy. However, in 2008-09, the confluence of falling oil prices, collapsing real estate prices, and the international banking crisis hit the UAE especially hard. The UAE has essentially avoided the "Arab Spring" unrest seen elsewhere in the Middle East, though in March 2011, political activists and intellectuals signed a petition calling for greater public participation in governance that was widely circulated on the Internet. In an effort to stem potential further unrest, the government announced a multi-year, $1.6-billion infrastructure investment plan for the poorer northern emirates and aggressively pursued advocates of political reform.
Read more

How big is United Arab Emirates 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 United Arab Emirates.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.