Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 7.7 years less

In South Korea, the average life expectancy is 83 years (80 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2022. In Uzbekistan, that number is 75 years (72 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2022.

be 3.5 times more likely to be obese

In South Korea, 4.7% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Uzbekistan, that number is 16.6% of people as of 2016.

Economy

pay a 39.5% lower top tax rate

South Korea has a top tax rate of 38.0% as of 2016. In Uzbekistan, the top tax rate is 23.0% as of 2016.

make 82.6% less money

South Korea has a GDP per capita of $50,600 as of 2023, while in Uzbekistan, the GDP per capita is $8,800 as of 2023.

be 71.6% more likely to be unemployed

In South Korea, 2.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Uzbekistan, that number is 4.5% as of 2023.

Life

have 3.0 times more children

In South Korea, there are approximately 6.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Uzbekistan, there are 20.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 3.8 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 Uzbekistan, 30.0 women do as of 2020.

be 6.6 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 Uzbekistan, on the other hand, 19.0 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 48.9% less likely to have internet access

In South Korea, approximately 98.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Uzbekistan, about 50.1% do as of 2022.

Expenditures

spend 19.0% less on healthcare

South Korea spends 8.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Uzbekistan, that number is 6.8% of GDP as of 2020.

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

Uzbekistan: At a glance

Uzbekistan is a sovereign country in Central Asia, with a total land area of approximately 425,400 sq km. Russia conquered the territory of present-day Uzbekistan in the late 19th century. Stiff resistance to the Red Army after the Bolshevik Revolution was eventually suppressed and a socialist republic established in 1924. During the Soviet era, intensive production of "white gold" (cotton) and grain led to overuse of agrochemicals and the depletion of water supplies, which have left the land degraded and the Aral Sea and certain rivers half dry. Independent since 1991, the country has lessened its dependence on the cotton monoculture by diversifying agricultural production while developing its mineral and petroleum export capacity and increasing its manufacturing base. However, longserving septuagenarian President Islom KARIMOV, who rose through the ranks of the Soviet-era State Planning Committee (Gosplan), remains wedded to the concepts of a command economy, creating a challenging environment for foreign investment. Current concerns include post-KARIMOV succession, terrorism by Islamic militants, economic stagnation, and the curtailment of human rights and democratization.
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