Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
South Korea fits inside Germany 3.6 times.
Germany: 357,680 km² (2023) · South Korea: 100,450 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
South Korea’s coastline is 1% longer than Germany’s.
Germany: 2,389 km (2026 edition) · South Korea: 2,413 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Germany’s highest peak towers 1,013 m above South Korea’s.
Germany: 2,963 m (2026 edition) · South Korea: 1,950 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Germany has 62% more people than South Korea.
Germany: 83.5 million (2025) · South Korea: 51.7 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
South Korea is 2.2 times as densely populated as Germany.
Germany: 239 per km² (2025) · South Korea: 530 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Germany are 4.8 cm taller than in South Korea.
Germany: 180.3 cm (2019) · South Korea: 175.5 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Germany are 3.0 cm taller than in South Korea.
Germany: 166.2 cm (2019) · South Korea: 163.2 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Germany is 0.66 years older than in South Korea.
Germany: 45.1 years (2023) · South Korea: 44.5 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Germany have 0.6 more children on average than in South Korea.
Germany: 1.36 children per woman (2024) · South Korea: 0.75 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
24% of people in Germany are 65 or older, versus 20% in South Korea.
Germany: 23.7% (2025) · South Korea: 20.3% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Germany has produced 10.1 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, South Korea 0.6.
Germany: 10.1 (2025) · South Korea: 0.6 (2025)
How many official languages?
Germany and South Korea are practically level.
Germany: 1 (2026) · South Korea: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Germany’s economy is 2.7 times the size of South Korea’s.
Germany: $5.05 trillion (2025) · South Korea: $1.87 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Germany produces 19% more per person than South Korea.
Germany: Int$75,407 (2025) · South Korea: Int$63,125 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Germany than in South Korea (Gini 0.8 points higher).
Germany: 33.7 (2022) · South Korea: 32.9 (2021)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 3.7% in Germany, versus 2.7% in South Korea.
Germany: 3.7% (2025) · South Korea: 2.7% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
South Korea spends 2.6% of its GDP on the military, Germany 1.9%.
Germany: 1.9% (2024) · South Korea: 2.6% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Germany’s price level (US = 100) is 1.4× South Korea’s.
Germany: 80% (2025) · South Korea: 57% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Germany spends 2.2 times as much on health per person as South Korea.
Germany: $6,849 (2024) · South Korea: $3,137 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in South Korea live 2.8 years longer than in Germany.
Germany: 80.8 years (2024) · South Korea: 83.6 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Germany is 35% more likely to die before turning one than in South Korea.
Germany: 3.1 per 1,000 (2024) · South Korea: 2.3 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Germany has 74% more doctors per person than South Korea.
Germany: 4.5 per 1,000 (2022) · South Korea: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
24% of adults in Germany are obese, versus 7.5% in South Korea.
Germany: 24.5% (2024) · South Korea: 7.5% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
22% of adults in Germany smoke, versus 19% in South Korea.
Germany: 22% (2024) · South Korea: 18.6% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Germany rate their lives 0.84 points higher than in South Korea.
Germany: 6.88 (2025) · South Korea: 6.04 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Germany drink 32% more alcohol than in South Korea.
Germany: 10.9 litres (2023) · South Korea: 8.3 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
South Korea has 19% more meat per person than Germany.
Germany: 70.7 kg (2023) · South Korea: 84 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Germany has 104 kcal more food per person per day than South Korea.
Germany: 3,535 kcal (2023) · South Korea: 3,430 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in South Korea put in 575 more hours a year than in Germany.
Germany: 1,335 hours (2023) · South Korea: 1,910 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Germany went to school 1.6 years longer than in South Korea.
Germany: 14.3 years (2023) · South Korea: 12.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Germany welcomed 42% more tourists per resident than South Korea (2019).
Germany: 0.45 (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 Germany.
Germany: 94% (2024) · South Korea: 98% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Germany and South Korea are practically level.
Germany: 100% (2024) · South Korea: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
82% of people in Germany live in cities, versus 81% in South Korea.
Germany: 82% (2025) · South Korea: 81% (2025)
How many phones per person?
South Korea has 173 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Germany 129.
Germany: 129 (2024) · South Korea: 173 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Germany’s railway network is 7.8 times as long as South Korea’s.
Germany: 33,401 km (2021) · South Korea: 4,309 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from South Korea fly 54% more passengers per resident than those from Germany.
Germany: 0.96 (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 33% of Germany.
Germany: 32.7% (2023) · South Korea: 64.1% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in South Korea emits 67% more CO₂ than someone in Germany.
Germany: 6.8 t (2024) · South Korea: 11.3 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
59% of Germany’s electricity is renewable, versus 10% in South Korea.
Germany: 59.1% (2025) · South Korea: 10.4% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in South Korea carries 2.3 times as much fine dust as in Germany.
Germany: 9.1 µg/m³ (2024) · South Korea: 21 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 91% more likely to be murdered in Germany than in South Korea.
Germany: 0.9 per 100k (2023) · South Korea: 0.5 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in South Korea are 2.1 times as deadly as in Germany.
Germany: 3.3 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 2.9 °C warmer than Germany.
Germany: 10.3°C (2016–2025 avg) · South Korea: 13.2°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
South Korea gets 45% more rain than Germany.
Germany: 871 mm (2016–2025 avg) · South Korea: 1,265 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Germany bigger than South Korea?
Germany is larger. South Korea fits inside Germany 3.6 times.
Which has more people, Germany or South Korea?
Germany has 62% more people than South Korea (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Germany or South Korea?
People in South Korea live 2.8 years longer than in Germany. Life expectancy at birth is 80.8 years in Germany and 83.6 in South Korea.
Are people taller in Germany or South Korea?
Men in Germany are 4.8 cm taller than in South Korea (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
