Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
South Korea fits inside Chile 7.5 times.
Chile: 757,245 km² (2023) · South Korea: 100,450 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Chile’s coastline is 2.7 times as long as South Korea’s.
Chile: 6,435 km (2026 edition) · South Korea: 2,413 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Chile’s highest peak towers 4,943 m above South Korea’s.
Chile: 6,893 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 2.6 times as many people as Chile.
Chile: 19.9 million (2025) · South Korea: 51.7 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
South Korea is 20 times as densely populated as Chile.
Chile: 27 per km² (2025) · South Korea: 530 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in South Korea are 2.6 cm taller than in Chile.
Chile: 172.9 cm (2019) · South Korea: 175.5 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in South Korea are 3.8 cm taller than in Chile.
Chile: 159.4 cm (2019) · South Korea: 163.2 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in South Korea is 8.5 years older than in Chile.
Chile: 36 years (2023) · South Korea: 44.5 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Chile have 0.4 more children on average than in South Korea.
Chile: 1.14 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 15% in Chile.
Chile: 14.6% (2025) · South Korea: 20.3% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Chile has produced 1.0 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, South Korea 0.6.
Chile: 1 (2025) · South Korea: 0.6 (2025)
How many official languages?
Chile and South Korea are practically level.
Chile: 1 (2026) · South Korea: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
South Korea’s economy is 5.2 times the size of Chile’s.
Chile: $357 billion (2025) · South Korea: $1.87 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
South Korea produces 67% more per person than Chile.
Chile: Int$37,774 (2025) · South Korea: Int$63,125 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Chile than in South Korea (Gini 10.1 points higher).
Chile: 43 (2024) · South Korea: 32.9 (2021)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 9.0% in Chile, versus 2.7% in South Korea.
Chile: 9% (2025) · South Korea: 2.7% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
South Korea spends 2.6% of its GDP on the military, Chile 1.6%.
Chile: 1.6% (2024) · South Korea: 2.6% (2024)
How expensive is it?
South Korea’s price level (US = 100) is 1.2× Chile’s.
Chile: 48% (2025) · South Korea: 57% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
South Korea spends 78% more on health per person than Chile.
Chile: $1,760 (2024) · South Korea: $3,137 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in South Korea live 2.3 years longer than in Chile.
Chile: 81.4 years (2024) · South Korea: 83.6 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Chile is 2.5 times as likely to die before turning one as in South Korea.
Chile: 5.8 per 1,000 (2024) · South Korea: 2.3 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Chile has 28% more doctors per person than South Korea.
Chile: 3.3 per 1,000 (2023) · South Korea: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
41% of adults in Chile are obese, versus 7.5% in South Korea.
Chile: 41.1% (2024) · South Korea: 7.5% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
27% of adults in Chile smoke, versus 19% in South Korea.
Chile: 26.7% (2024) · South Korea: 18.6% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Chile rate their lives 0.26 points higher than in South Korea.
Chile: 6.30 (2025) · South Korea: 6.04 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in South Korea drink 26% more alcohol than in Chile.
Chile: 6.6 litres (2023) · South Korea: 8.3 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Chile has 17% more meat per person than South Korea.
Chile: 98.5 kg (2023) · South Korea: 84 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
South Korea has 373 kcal more food per person per day than Chile.
Chile: 3,057 kcal (2023) · South Korea: 3,430 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Chile put in 39 more hours a year than in South Korea.
Chile: 1,950 hours (2023) · South Korea: 1,910 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in South Korea went to school 1.4 years longer than in Chile.
Chile: 11.3 years (2023) · South Korea: 12.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
South Korea welcomed 19% more tourists per resident than Chile (2019).
Chile: 0.27 (2024) · 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 Chile.
Chile: 96% (2024) · South Korea: 98% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in South Korea have electricity, versus 99% in Chile.
Chile: 99% (2024) · South Korea: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
89% of people in Chile live in cities, versus 81% in South Korea.
Chile: 89% (2025) · South Korea: 81% (2025)
How many phones per person?
South Korea has 173 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Chile 133.
Chile: 133 (2024) · South Korea: 173 (2024)
How much railway is there?
South Korea’s railway network is 80% longer than Chile’s.
Chile: 2,396 km (2021) · South Korea: 4,309 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from South Korea fly 37% more passengers per resident than those from Chile.
Chile: 1.07 (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 25% of Chile.
Chile: 25% (2023) · South Korea: 64.1% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in South Korea emits 2.8 times as much CO₂ as someone in Chile.
Chile: 4 t (2024) · South Korea: 11.3 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
66% of Chile’s electricity is renewable, versus 10% in South Korea.
Chile: 66.4% (2025) · South Korea: 10.4% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Chile carries 10% more fine dust than in South Korea.
Chile: 23.2 µg/m³ (2024) · South Korea: 21 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 13 times as likely to be murdered in Chile as in South Korea.
Chile: 6.3 per 100k (2023) · South Korea: 0.5 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Chile are 49% deadlier than in South Korea.
Chile: 10.3 per 100k (2021) · South Korea: 6.9 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
South Korea is on average 3.7 °C warmer than Chile.
Chile: 9.4°C (2016–2025 avg) · South Korea: 13.2°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Chile gets 13% more rain than South Korea.
Chile: 1,425 mm (2016–2025 avg) · South Korea: 1,265 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Chile bigger than South Korea?
Chile is larger. South Korea fits inside Chile 7.5 times.
Which has more people, Chile or South Korea?
South Korea has 2.6 times as many people as Chile (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Chile or South Korea?
People in South Korea live 2.3 years longer than in Chile. Life expectancy at birth is 81.4 years in Chile and 83.6 in South Korea.
Are people taller in Chile or South Korea?
Men in South Korea are 2.6 cm taller than in Chile (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
