CountryDuel

Land

Size, shape and altitude

How big is it, really?

South Korea fits inside Norway 6.2 times.

Norway: 624,500 km² (2023) · South Korea: 100,450 km² (2023)

Drag it across the map

How much coast is there?

Norway’s coastline is 10 times as long as South Korea’s.

Norway: 25,148 km (2026 edition) · South Korea: 2,413 km (2026 edition)

How high can you climb?

Norway’s highest peak towers 519 m above South Korea’s.

Norway: 2,469 m (2026 edition) · South Korea: 1,950 m (2026 edition)

How far apart are they?

People

Who lives there, and how closely

How many people live there?

South Korea has 9.2 times as many people as Norway.

Norway: 5.61 million (2025) · South Korea: 51.7 million (2025)

How crowded is it?

South Korea is 34 times as densely populated as Norway.

Norway: 15 per km² (2025) · South Korea: 530 per km² (2025)

How tall are the men?

Men in Norway are 5.0 cm taller than in South Korea.

Norway: 180.5 cm (2019) · South Korea: 175.5 cm (2019)

How tall are the women?

Women in Norway are 3.2 cm taller than in South Korea.

Norway: 166.5 cm (2019) · South Korea: 163.2 cm (2019)

How old is the typical person?

The typical person in South Korea is 4.9 years older than in Norway.

Norway: 39.5 years (2023) · South Korea: 44.5 years (2023)

How many children per woman?

Women in Norway have 0.7 more children on average than in South Korea.

Norway: 1.45 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 19% in Norway.

Norway: 19.1% (2025) · South Korea: 20.3% (2025)

How many Nobel laureates were born there?

Norway has produced 23.2 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, South Korea 0.6.

Norway: 23.2 (2025) · South Korea: 0.6 (2025)

How many official languages?

Norway has 3 official languages, South Korea 1.

Norway: 3 (2026) · South Korea: 1 (2026)

What shape is the population?

Money

What an economy looks like per person

How big is the economy?

South Korea’s economy is 3.5 times the size of Norway’s.

Norway: $531 billion (2025) · South Korea: $1.87 trillion (2025)

How much is produced per person?

Norway produces 65% more per person than South Korea.

Norway: Int$104,044 (2025) · South Korea: Int$63,125 (2025)

How evenly is income shared?

Income is more unequally shared in South Korea than in Norway (Gini 6.4 points higher).

Norway: 26.5 (2023) · South Korea: 32.9 (2021)

How many people are looking for work?

Unemployment is 4.6% in Norway, versus 2.7% in South Korea.

Norway: 4.6% (2025) · South Korea: 2.7% (2025)

How much goes to the military?

South Korea and Norway are practically level.

Norway: 2.1% (2024) · South Korea: 2.6% (2024)

How expensive is it?

Norway’s price level (US = 100) is 1.6× South Korea’s.

Norway: 91% (2025) · South Korea: 57% (2025)

Health

Long lives, small beginnings

How much is spent on health?

Norway spends 2.6 times as much on health per person as South Korea.

Norway: $8,296 (2023) · South Korea: $3,137 (2024)

How long do people live?

People in South Korea live 0.47 years longer than in Norway.

Norway: 83.2 years (2024) · South Korea: 83.6 years (2024)

How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?

A baby in South Korea is 15% more likely to die before turning one than in Norway.

Norway: 2 per 1,000 (2024) · South Korea: 2.3 per 1,000 (2024)

How many doctors are there?

Norway has 91% more doctors per person than South Korea.

Norway: 5 per 1,000 (2023) · South Korea: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022)

How common is obesity?

21% of adults in Norway are obese, versus 7.5% in South Korea.

Norway: 20.7% (2024) · South Korea: 7.5% (2024)

How many adults smoke?

19% of adults in South Korea smoke, versus 13% in Norway.

Norway: 12.9% (2024) · South Korea: 18.6% (2024)

Everyday life

Plates, glasses and happiness

How do people rate their lives?

People in Norway rate their lives 1.20 points higher than in South Korea.

Norway: 7.24 (2025) · South Korea: 6.04 (2025)

How much do people drink?

Adults in South Korea drink 19% more alcohol than in Norway.

Norway: 7 litres (2023) · South Korea: 8.3 litres (2023)

How much meat is on the menu?

South Korea has 19% more meat per person than Norway.

Norway: 70.4 kg (2023) · South Korea: 84 kg (2023)

How much food is there per day?

Norway has 45 kcal more food per person per day than South Korea.

Norway: 3,476 kcal (2023) · South Korea: 3,430 kcal (2023)

How long do people work?

Workers in South Korea put in 498 more hours a year than in Norway.

Norway: 1,412 hours (2023) · South Korea: 1,910 hours (2023)

How long do people go to school?

Adults in Norway went to school 0.4 years longer than in South Korea.

Norway: 13.1 years (2023) · South Korea: 12.7 years (2023)

How many tourists visit?

Norway welcomed 2.9 times as many tourists per resident as South Korea (2019).

Norway: 0.91 (2022) · South Korea: 0.32 (2024)

Connected

Online, electrified, urban

How many people are online?

99% of people in Norway are online, versus 98% in South Korea.

Norway: 99% (2024) · South Korea: 98% (2024)

Who has electricity at home?

Norway and South Korea are practically level.

Norway: 100% (2024) · South Korea: 100% (2024)

How many live in cities?

84% of people in Norway live in cities, versus 81% in South Korea.

Norway: 84% (2025) · South Korea: 81% (2025)

How many phones per person?

South Korea has 173 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Norway 109.

Norway: 109 (2024) · South Korea: 173 (2024)

How much railway is there?

South Korea’s railway network is 11% longer than Norway’s.

Norway: 3,885 km (2021) · South Korea: 4,309 km (2021)

How much do they fly?

Norway: no data · 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 34% of Norway.

Norway: 33.5% (2023) · South Korea: 64.1% (2023)

How much CO₂ does each person emit?

The average person in South Korea emits 69% more CO₂ than someone in Norway.

Norway: 6.7 t (2024) · South Korea: 11.3 t (2024)

How green is the power grid?

99% of Norway’s electricity is renewable, versus 10% in South Korea.

Norway: 99% (2025) · South Korea: 10.4% (2025)

How clean is the air?

The air in South Korea carries 3.1 times as much fine dust as in Norway.

Norway: 6.7 µg/m³ (2024) · South Korea: 21 µg/m³ (2024)

Where does the power come from?

Safety

Measured risk, not vibes

How common is murder?

You are 52% more likely to be murdered in Norway than in South Korea.

Norway: 0.7 per 100k (2023) · South Korea: 0.5 per 100k (2023)

How dangerous are the roads?

Roads in South Korea are 4.6 times as deadly as in Norway.

Norway: 1.5 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 11.5 °C warmer than Norway.

Norway: 1.6°C (2016–2025 avg) · South Korea: 13.2°C (2016–2025 avg)

How much rain falls?

South Korea and Norway are nearly identical here.

Norway: 1,259 mm (2016–2025 avg) · South Korea: 1,265 mm (2016–2025 avg)

What does the year feel like?
Time machine

Quick answers

Is Norway bigger than South Korea?

Norway is larger. South Korea fits inside Norway 6.2 times.

Which has more people, Norway or South Korea?

South Korea has 9.2 times as many people as Norway (2025 estimates).

Where do people live longer, Norway or South Korea?

People in South Korea live 0.47 years longer than in Norway. Life expectancy at birth is 83.2 years in Norway and 83.6 in South Korea.

Are people taller in Norway or South Korea?

Men in Norway are 5.0 cm taller than in South Korea (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).

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