Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
South Korea fits inside Finland 3.4 times.
Finland: 338,480 km² (2023) · South Korea: 100,450 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
South Korea’s coastline is 93% longer than Finland’s.
Finland: 1,250 km (2026 edition) · South Korea: 2,413 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
South Korea’s highest peak towers 622 m above Finland’s.
Finland: 1,328 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 9.2 times as many people as Finland.
Finland: 5.65 million (2025) · South Korea: 51.7 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
South Korea is 29 times as densely populated as Finland.
Finland: 19 per km² (2025) · South Korea: 530 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Finland are 5.0 cm taller than in South Korea.
Finland: 180.6 cm (2019) · South Korea: 175.5 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Finland are 3.3 cm taller than in South Korea.
Finland: 166.5 cm (2019) · South Korea: 163.2 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in South Korea is 1.7 years older than in Finland.
Finland: 42.8 years (2023) · South Korea: 44.5 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Finland have 0.5 more children on average than in South Korea.
Finland: 1.25 children per woman (2024) · South Korea: 0.75 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
24% of people in Finland are 65 or older, versus 20% in South Korea.
Finland: 24.2% (2025) · South Korea: 20.3% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Finland has produced 8.9 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, South Korea 0.6.
Finland: 8.9 (2025) · South Korea: 0.6 (2025)
How many official languages?
Finland has 2 official languages, South Korea 1.
Finland: 2 (2026) · South Korea: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
South Korea’s economy is 5.9 times the size of Finland’s.
Finland: $317 billion (2025) · South Korea: $1.87 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Finland produces 4% more per person than South Korea.
Finland: Int$65,885 (2025) · South Korea: Int$63,125 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in South Korea than in Finland (Gini 5.5 points higher).
Finland: 27.4 (2023) · South Korea: 32.9 (2021)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 9.5% in Finland, versus 2.7% in South Korea.
Finland: 9.5% (2025) · South Korea: 2.7% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
South Korea and Finland are practically level.
Finland: 2.3% (2024) · South Korea: 2.6% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Finland’s price level (US = 100) is 1.5× South Korea’s.
Finland: 85% (2025) · South Korea: 57% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Finland spends 76% more on health per person than South Korea.
Finland: $5,515 (2023) · South Korea: $3,137 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in South Korea live 1.3 years longer than in Finland.
Finland: 82.3 years (2024) · South Korea: 83.6 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in South Korea is 21% more likely to die before turning one than in Finland.
Finland: 1.9 per 1,000 (2024) · South Korea: 2.3 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Finland has 38% more doctors per person than South Korea.
Finland: 3.6 per 1,000 (2021) · South Korea: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
26% of adults in Finland are obese, versus 7.5% in South Korea.
Finland: 26.2% (2024) · South Korea: 7.5% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
21% of adults in Finland smoke, versus 19% in South Korea.
Finland: 21.4% (2024) · South Korea: 18.6% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Finland rate their lives 1.72 points higher than in South Korea.
Finland: 7.76 (2025) · South Korea: 6.04 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Finland drink 14% more alcohol than in South Korea.
Finland: 9.4 litres (2023) · South Korea: 8.3 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
South Korea has 21% more meat per person than Finland.
Finland: 69.4 kg (2023) · South Korea: 84 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
South Korea has 85 kcal more food per person per day than Finland.
Finland: 3,346 kcal (2023) · South Korea: 3,430 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in South Korea put in 413 more hours a year than in Finland.
Finland: 1,497 hours (2023) · South Korea: 1,910 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Finland went to school 0.26 years longer than in South Korea.
Finland: 13 years (2023) · South Korea: 12.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Finland welcomed 2.5 times as many tourists per resident as South Korea (2019).
Finland: 0.8 (2024) · South Korea: 0.32 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
98% of people in South Korea are online, versus 94% in Finland.
Finland: 94% (2024) · South Korea: 98% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Finland and South Korea are practically level.
Finland: 100% (2024) · South Korea: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
81% of people in South Korea live in cities, versus 75% in Finland.
Finland: 75% (2025) · South Korea: 81% (2025)
How many phones per person?
South Korea has 173 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Finland 126.
Finland: 126 (2024) · South Korea: 173 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Finland’s railway network is 37% longer than South Korea’s.
Finland: 5,918 km (2021) · South Korea: 4,309 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Finland fly 30% more passengers per resident than those from South Korea.
Finland: 1.91 (2023) · South Korea: 1.48 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 74% of Finland, but only 64% of South Korea.
Finland: 73.7% (2023) · South Korea: 64.1% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in South Korea emits 2.1 times as much CO₂ as someone in Finland.
Finland: 5.3 t (2024) · South Korea: 11.3 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
56% of Finland’s electricity is renewable, versus 10% in South Korea.
Finland: 56.5% (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 Finland.
Finland: 5.4 µg/m³ (2024) · South Korea: 21 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 2.1 times as likely to be murdered in Finland as in South Korea.
Finland: 1 per 100k (2023) · South Korea: 0.5 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in South Korea are 64% deadlier than in Finland.
Finland: 4.2 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 9.6 °C warmer than Finland.
Finland: 3.6°C (2016–2025 avg) · South Korea: 13.2°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
South Korea gets 67% more rain than Finland.
Finland: 758 mm (2016–2025 avg) · South Korea: 1,265 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Finland bigger than South Korea?
Finland is larger. South Korea fits inside Finland 3.4 times.
Which has more people, Finland or South Korea?
South Korea has 9.2 times as many people as Finland (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Finland or South Korea?
People in South Korea live 1.3 years longer than in Finland. Life expectancy at birth is 82.3 years in Finland and 83.6 in South Korea.
Are people taller in Finland or South Korea?
Men in Finland are 5.0 cm taller than in South Korea (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
