Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
South Korea fits inside Argentina 28 times.
Argentina: 2,780,400 km² (2023) · South Korea: 100,450 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Argentina’s coastline is 2.1 times as long as South Korea’s.
Argentina: 4,989 km (2026 edition) · South Korea: 2,413 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Argentina’s highest peak towers 5,012 m above South Korea’s.
Argentina: 6,962 m (2026 edition) · South Korea: 1,950 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
South Korea has 13% more people than Argentina.
Argentina: 45.9 million (2025) · South Korea: 51.7 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
South Korea is 32 times as densely populated as Argentina.
Argentina: 17 per km² (2025) · South Korea: 530 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
South Korea and Argentina are practically level.
Argentina: 174.8 cm (2019) · South Korea: 175.5 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in South Korea are 2.0 cm taller than in Argentina.
Argentina: 161.2 cm (2019) · South Korea: 163.2 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in South Korea is 12 years older than in Argentina.
Argentina: 32.1 years (2023) · South Korea: 44.5 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Argentina have 0.8 more children on average than in South Korea.
Argentina: 1.5 children per woman (2024) · South Korea: 0.75 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
20% of people in South Korea are 65 or older, versus 13% in Argentina.
Argentina: 12.6% (2025) · South Korea: 20.3% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Argentina has produced 0.9 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, South Korea 0.6.
Argentina: 0.9 (2025) · South Korea: 0.6 (2025)
How many official languages?
Argentina has 2 official languages, South Korea 1.
Argentina: 2 (2026) · South Korea: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
South Korea’s economy is 2.7 times the size of Argentina’s.
Argentina: $683 billion (2025) · South Korea: $1.87 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
South Korea produces 94% more per person than Argentina.
Argentina: Int$32,587 (2025) · South Korea: Int$63,125 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Argentina than in South Korea (Gini 9.5 points higher).
Argentina: 42.4 (2024) · South Korea: 32.9 (2021)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 7.1% in Argentina, versus 2.7% in South Korea.
Argentina: 7.1% (2025) · South Korea: 2.7% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
South Korea spends 2.6% of its GDP on the military, Argentina 0.6%.
Argentina: 0.6% (2024) · South Korea: 2.6% (2024)
How expensive is it?
South Korea’s price level (US = 100) is 1.3× Argentina’s.
Argentina: 46% (2025) · South Korea: 57% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
South Korea spends 2.2 times as much on health per person as Argentina.
Argentina: $1,457 (2023) · South Korea: $3,137 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in South Korea live 6.1 years longer than in Argentina.
Argentina: 77.5 years (2024) · South Korea: 83.6 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Argentina is 3.5 times as likely to die before turning one as in South Korea.
Argentina: 8 per 1,000 (2024) · South Korea: 2.3 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Argentina has 2 times as many doctors per person as South Korea.
Argentina: 5.1 per 1,000 (2023) · South Korea: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
38% of adults in Argentina are obese, versus 7.5% in South Korea.
Argentina: 38.1% (2024) · South Korea: 7.5% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
24% of adults in Argentina smoke, versus 19% in South Korea.
Argentina: 23.5% (2024) · South Korea: 18.6% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Argentina rate their lives 0.39 points higher than in South Korea.
Argentina: 6.43 (2025) · South Korea: 6.04 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in South Korea drink 16% more alcohol than in Argentina.
Argentina: 7.1 litres (2023) · South Korea: 8.3 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Argentina has 37% more meat per person than South Korea.
Argentina: 115 kg (2023) · South Korea: 84 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
South Korea has 70 kcal more food per person per day than Argentina.
Argentina: 3,360 kcal (2023) · South Korea: 3,430 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in South Korea put in 298 more hours a year than in Argentina.
Argentina: 1,612 hours (2023) · South Korea: 1,910 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in South Korea went to school 1.5 years longer than in Argentina.
Argentina: 11.2 years (2023) · South Korea: 12.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
South Korea welcomed 2.2 times as many tourists per resident as Argentina (2019).
Argentina: 0.14 (2024) · South Korea: 0.32 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
98% of people in South Korea are online, versus 90% in Argentina.
Argentina: 90% (2024) · South Korea: 98% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in South Korea have electricity, versus 98% in Argentina.
Argentina: 98.4% (2024) · South Korea: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
92% of people in Argentina live in cities, versus 81% in South Korea.
Argentina: 92% (2025) · South Korea: 81% (2025)
How many phones per person?
South Korea has 173 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Argentina 140.
Argentina: 140 (2024) · South Korea: 173 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Argentina’s railway network is 4.1 times as long as South Korea’s.
Argentina: 17,866 km (2019) · South Korea: 4,309 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from South Korea fly 3.2 times as many passengers per resident as those from Argentina.
Argentina: 0.46 (2023) · South Korea: 1.48 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 64% of South Korea, but only 10% of Argentina.
Argentina: 10.3% (2023) · South Korea: 64.1% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in South Korea emits 3 times as much CO₂ as someone in Argentina.
Argentina: 3.7 t (2024) · South Korea: 11.3 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
35% of Argentina’s electricity is renewable, versus 10% in South Korea.
Argentina: 34.6% (2025) · South Korea: 10.4% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in South Korea carries 45% more fine dust than in Argentina.
Argentina: 14.5 µg/m³ (2024) · South Korea: 21 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 9.4 times as likely to be murdered in Argentina as in South Korea.
Argentina: 4.5 per 100k (2023) · South Korea: 0.5 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Argentina are 28% deadlier than in South Korea.
Argentina: 8.8 per 100k (2021) · South Korea: 6.9 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Argentina is on average 2.0 °C warmer than South Korea.
Argentina: 15.1°C (2016–2025 avg) · South Korea: 13.2°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
South Korea gets 89% more rain than Argentina.
Argentina: 670 mm (2016–2025 avg) · South Korea: 1,265 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Argentina bigger than South Korea?
Argentina is larger. South Korea fits inside Argentina 28 times.
Which has more people, Argentina or South Korea?
South Korea has 13% more people than Argentina (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Argentina or South Korea?
People in South Korea live 6.1 years longer than in Argentina. Life expectancy at birth is 77.5 years in Argentina and 83.6 in South Korea.
Are people taller in Argentina or South Korea?
South Korea and Argentina are practically level (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
