Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
South Korea fits inside Australia 77 times.
Australia: 7,741,220 km² (2023) · South Korea: 100,450 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Australia’s coastline is 11 times as long as South Korea’s.
Australia: 25,760 km (2026 edition) · South Korea: 2,413 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Australia’s highest peak towers 278 m above South Korea’s.
Australia: 2,228 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 87% more people than Australia.
Australia: 27.6 million (2025) · South Korea: 51.7 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
South Korea is 148 times as densely populated as Australia.
Australia: 4 per km² (2025) · South Korea: 530 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Australia are 3.3 cm taller than in South Korea.
Australia: 178.8 cm (2019) · South Korea: 175.5 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Australia are 1.4 cm taller than in South Korea.
Australia: 164.7 cm (2019) · South Korea: 163.2 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in South Korea is 6.7 years older than in Australia.
Australia: 37.8 years (2023) · South Korea: 44.5 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Australia have 0.7 more children on average than in South Korea.
Australia: 1.48 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 18% in Australia.
Australia: 18.1% (2025) · South Korea: 20.3% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Australia has produced 3.6 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, South Korea 0.6.
Australia: 3.6 (2025) · South Korea: 0.6 (2025)
How many official languages?
Australia and South Korea are practically level.
Australia: 1 (2026) · South Korea: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
South Korea’s economy is 4% larger than Australia’s.
Australia: $1.8 trillion (2025) · South Korea: $1.87 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Australia produces 14% more per person than South Korea.
Australia: Int$71,934 (2025) · South Korea: Int$63,125 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Australia than in South Korea (Gini 0.9 points higher).
Australia: 33.8 (2020) · South Korea: 32.9 (2021)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 4.1% in Australia, versus 2.7% in South Korea.
Australia: 4.1% (2025) · South Korea: 2.7% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
South Korea spends 2.6% of its GDP on the military, Australia 1.9%.
Australia: 1.9% (2024) · South Korea: 2.6% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Australia’s price level (US = 100) is 1.6× South Korea’s.
Australia: 91% (2025) · South Korea: 57% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Australia spends 2.2 times as much on health per person as South Korea.
Australia: $6,980 (2023) · South Korea: $3,137 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in South Korea live 0.58 years longer than in Australia.
Australia: 83.1 years (2024) · South Korea: 83.6 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Australia is 35% more likely to die before turning one than in South Korea.
Australia: 3.1 per 1,000 (2024) · South Korea: 2.3 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Australia has 57% more doctors per person than South Korea.
Australia: 4.1 per 1,000 (2022) · South Korea: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
32% of adults in Australia are obese, versus 7.5% in South Korea.
Australia: 32.4% (2024) · South Korea: 7.5% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
19% of adults in South Korea smoke, versus 12% in Australia.
Australia: 11.6% (2024) · South Korea: 18.6% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Australia rate their lives 0.88 points higher than in South Korea.
Australia: 6.92 (2025) · South Korea: 6.04 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Australia drink 27% more alcohol than in South Korea.
Australia: 10.5 litres (2023) · South Korea: 8.3 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Australia has 39% more meat per person than South Korea.
Australia: 116.8 kg (2023) · South Korea: 84 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Australia has 132 kcal more food per person per day than South Korea.
Australia: 3,562 kcal (2023) · South Korea: 3,430 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in South Korea put in 299 more hours a year than in Australia.
Australia: 1,611 hours (2023) · South Korea: 1,910 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Australia went to school 0.15 years longer than in South Korea.
Australia: 12.9 years (2023) · South Korea: 12.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Australia: no data · South Korea: 0.32 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
98% of people in South Korea are online, versus 96% in Australia.
Australia: 96% (2024) · South Korea: 98% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Australia and South Korea are practically level.
Australia: 100% (2024) · South Korea: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
88% of people in Australia live in cities, versus 81% in South Korea.
Australia: 88% (2025) · South Korea: 81% (2025)
How many phones per person?
South Korea has 173 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Australia 113.
Australia: 113 (2024) · South Korea: 173 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Australia’s railway network is 7.6 times as long as South Korea’s.
Australia: 32,606 km (2022) · South Korea: 4,309 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Australia fly 69% more passengers per resident than those from South Korea.
Australia: 2.5 (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 17% of Australia.
Australia: 17.4% (2023) · South Korea: 64.1% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Australia emits 28% more CO₂ than someone in South Korea.
Australia: 14.5 t (2024) · South Korea: 11.3 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
39% of Australia’s electricity is renewable, versus 10% in South Korea.
Australia: 38.6% (2025) · South Korea: 10.4% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in South Korea carries 3.9 times as much fine dust as in Australia.
Australia: 5.4 µg/m³ (2024) · South Korea: 21 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 79% more likely to be murdered in Australia than in South Korea.
Australia: 0.9 per 100k (2023) · South Korea: 0.5 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in South Korea are 53% deadlier than in Australia.
Australia: 4.5 per 100k (2021) · South Korea: 6.9 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Australia is on average 9.3 °C warmer than South Korea.
Australia: 22.5°C (2016–2025 avg) · South Korea: 13.2°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
South Korea gets 2.8 times as much rain as Australia.
Australia: 447 mm (2016–2025 avg) · South Korea: 1,265 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Australia bigger than South Korea?
Australia is larger. South Korea fits inside Australia 77 times.
Which has more people, Australia or South Korea?
South Korea has 87% more people than Australia (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Australia or South Korea?
People in South Korea live 0.58 years longer than in Australia. Life expectancy at birth is 83.1 years in Australia and 83.6 in South Korea.
Are people taller in Australia or South Korea?
Men in Australia are 3.3 cm taller than in South Korea (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
