Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
South Korea fits inside Russia 170 times.
Russia: 17,125,200 km² (2023) · South Korea: 100,450 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Russia’s coastline is 16 times as long as South Korea’s.
Russia: 37,653 km (2026 edition) · South Korea: 2,413 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Russia’s highest peak towers 3,692 m above South Korea’s.
Russia: 5,642 m (2026 edition) · South Korea: 1,950 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Russia has 2.8 times as many people as South Korea.
Russia: 144 million (2025) · South Korea: 51.7 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
South Korea is 60 times as densely populated as Russia.
Russia: 9 per km² (2025) · South Korea: 530 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Russia are 1.1 cm taller than in South Korea.
Russia: 176.7 cm (2019) · South Korea: 175.5 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Russia are 1.3 cm taller than in South Korea.
Russia: 164.5 cm (2019) · South Korea: 163.2 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in South Korea is 5 years older than in Russia.
Russia: 39.5 years (2023) · South Korea: 44.5 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Russia have 0.7 more children on average than in South Korea.
Russia: 1.42 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 Russia.
Russia: 17.8% (2025) · South Korea: 20.3% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Russia has produced 2.0 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, South Korea 0.6.
Russia: 2 (2025) · South Korea: 0.6 (2025)
How many official languages?
Russia and South Korea are practically level.
Russia: 1 (2026) · South Korea: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Russia’s economy is 37% larger than South Korea’s.
Russia: $2.56 trillion (2025) · South Korea: $1.87 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
South Korea produces 27% more per person than Russia.
Russia: Int$49,568 (2025) · South Korea: Int$63,125 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Russia and South Korea are practically level.
Russia: 33 (2023) · South Korea: 32.9 (2021)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 2.7% in South Korea, versus 2.1% in Russia.
Russia: 2.1% (2025) · South Korea: 2.7% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Russia spends 7.1% of its GDP on the military, South Korea 2.6%.
Russia: 7.1% (2024) · South Korea: 2.6% (2024)
How expensive is it?
South Korea’s price level (US = 100) is 1.6× Russia’s.
Russia: 35% (2025) · South Korea: 57% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
South Korea spends 3.1 times as much on health per person as Russia.
Russia: $1,003 (2023) · South Korea: $3,137 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in South Korea live 10 years longer than in Russia.
Russia: 73.4 years (2024) · South Korea: 83.6 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Russia is 78% more likely to die before turning one than in South Korea.
Russia: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024) · South Korea: 2.3 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Russia has 2 times as many doctors per person as South Korea.
Russia: 5.1 per 1,000 (2022) · South Korea: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
21% of adults in Russia are obese, versus 7.5% in South Korea.
Russia: 21.2% (2024) · South Korea: 7.5% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
27% of adults in Russia smoke, versus 19% in South Korea.
Russia: 27% (2024) · South Korea: 18.6% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in South Korea rate their lives 0.21 points higher than in Russia.
Russia: 5.83 (2025) · South Korea: 6.04 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Russia drink 26% more alcohol than in South Korea.
Russia: 10.4 litres (2023) · South Korea: 8.3 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Russia and South Korea are nearly identical here.
Russia: 84.8 kg (2023) · South Korea: 84 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Russia has 98 kcal more food per person per day than South Korea.
Russia: 3,528 kcal (2023) · South Korea: 3,430 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Russia put in 176 more hours a year than in South Korea.
Russia: 2,087 hours (2023) · South Korea: 1,910 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in South Korea went to school 0.31 years longer than in Russia.
Russia: 12.4 years (2023) · South Korea: 12.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Russia: 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 94% in Russia.
Russia: 94% (2024) · South Korea: 98% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Russia and South Korea are practically level.
Russia: 100% (2024) · South Korea: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
81% of people in South Korea live in cities, versus 75% in Russia.
Russia: 75% (2025) · South Korea: 81% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Russia has 186 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, South Korea 173.
Russia: 186 (2024) · South Korea: 173 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Russia’s railway network is 20 times as long as South Korea’s.
Russia: 85,544 km (2021) · South Korea: 4,309 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from South Korea fly 2.1 times as many passengers per resident as those from Russia.
Russia: 0.69 (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 50% of Russia.
Russia: 49.8% (2023) · South Korea: 64.1% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Russia emits 9% more CO₂ than someone in South Korea.
Russia: 12.3 t (2024) · South Korea: 11.3 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
17% of Russia’s electricity is renewable, versus 10% in South Korea.
Russia: 17.4% (2025) · South Korea: 10.4% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in South Korea carries 63% more fine dust than in Russia.
Russia: 12.9 µg/m³ (2024) · South Korea: 21 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 16 times as likely to be murdered in Russia as in South Korea.
Russia: 7.8 per 100k (2024) · South Korea: 0.5 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Russia are 54% deadlier than in South Korea.
Russia: 10.6 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 15.7 °C warmer than Russia.
Russia: -2.6°C (2016–2025 avg) · South Korea: 13.2°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
South Korea gets 2.2 times as much rain as Russia.
Russia: 586 mm (2016–2025 avg) · South Korea: 1,265 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Russia bigger than South Korea?
Russia is larger. South Korea fits inside Russia 170 times.
Which has more people, Russia or South Korea?
Russia has 2.8 times as many people as South Korea (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Russia or South Korea?
People in South Korea live 10 years longer than in Russia. Life expectancy at birth is 73.4 years in Russia and 83.6 in South Korea.
Are people taller in Russia or South Korea?
Men in Russia are 1.1 cm taller than in South Korea (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
