Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
South Korea: 100,450 km² (2023) · Taiwan: no data
How much coast is there?
South Korea’s coastline is 54% longer than Taiwan’s.
South Korea: 2,413 km (2026 edition) · Taiwan: 1,566 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Taiwan’s highest peak towers 2,002 m above South Korea’s.
South Korea: 1,950 m (2026 edition) · Taiwan: 3,952 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
South Korea: 51.7 million (2025) · Taiwan: no data
How crowded is it?
South Korea: 530 per km² (2025) · Taiwan: no data
How tall are the men?
Men in South Korea are 2.0 cm taller than in Taiwan.
South Korea: 175.5 cm (2019) · Taiwan: 173.5 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in South Korea are 2.5 cm taller than in Taiwan.
South Korea: 163.2 cm (2019) · Taiwan: 160.7 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in South Korea is 0.95 years older than in Taiwan.
South Korea: 44.5 years (2023) · Taiwan: 43.5 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
South Korea: 0.75 children per woman (2024) · Taiwan: no data
How many people are 65 or older?
South Korea: 20.3% (2025) · Taiwan: no data
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
South Korea: 0.6 (2025) · Taiwan: no data
How many official languages?
South Korea and Taiwan are practically level.
South Korea: 1 (2026) · Taiwan: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
South Korea: $1.87 trillion (2025) · Taiwan: no data
How much is produced per person?
South Korea: Int$63,125 (2025) · Taiwan: no data
How evenly is income shared?
South Korea: 32.9 (2021) · Taiwan: no data
How many people are looking for work?
South Korea: 2.7% (2025) · Taiwan: no data
How much goes to the military?
South Korea: 2.6% (2024) · Taiwan: no data
How expensive is it?
South Korea: 57% (2025) · Taiwan: no data
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
South Korea: $3,137 (2024) · Taiwan: no data
How long do people live?
South Korea: 83.6 years (2024) · Taiwan: no data
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
South Korea: 2.3 per 1,000 (2024) · Taiwan: no data
How many doctors are there?
South Korea: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022) · Taiwan: no data
How common is obesity?
South Korea: 7.5% (2024) · Taiwan: no data
How many adults smoke?
South Korea: 18.6% (2024) · Taiwan: no data
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Taiwan rate their lives 0.67 points higher than in South Korea.
South Korea: 6.04 (2025) · Taiwan: 6.71 (2025)
How much do people drink?
South Korea: 8.3 litres (2023) · Taiwan: no data
How much meat is on the menu?
Taiwan has 9% more meat per person than South Korea.
South Korea: 84 kg (2023) · Taiwan: 91.5 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
South Korea has 472 kcal more food per person per day than Taiwan.
South Korea: 3,430 kcal (2023) · Taiwan: 2,958 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Taiwan put in 121 more hours a year than in South Korea.
South Korea: 1,910 hours (2023) · Taiwan: 2,032 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
South Korea: 12.7 years (2023) · Taiwan: no data
How many tourists visit?
South Korea: 0.32 (2024) · Taiwan: no data
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
South Korea: 98% (2024) · Taiwan: no data
Who has electricity at home?
South Korea: 100% (2024) · Taiwan: no data
How many live in cities?
South Korea: 81% (2025) · Taiwan: no data
How many phones per person?
South Korea: 173 (2024) · Taiwan: no data
How much railway is there?
South Korea’s railway network is 2.7 times as long as Taiwan’s.
South Korea: 4,309 km (2021) · Taiwan: 1,613 km (2018)
How much do they fly?
South Korea: 1.48 (2023) · Taiwan: no data
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
South Korea: 64.1% (2023) · Taiwan: no data
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
Taiwan and South Korea are nearly identical here.
South Korea: 11.3 t (2024) · Taiwan: 11.3 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
12% of Taiwan’s electricity is renewable, versus 10% in South Korea.
South Korea: 10.4% (2025) · Taiwan: 12.2% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in South Korea carries 27% more fine dust than in Taiwan.
South Korea: 21 µg/m³ (2024) · Taiwan: 16.6 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
South Korea: 0.5 per 100k (2023) · Taiwan: no data
How dangerous are the roads?
South Korea: 6.9 per 100k (2021) · Taiwan: no data
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
South Korea: 13.2°C (2016–2025 avg) · Taiwan: no data
How much rain falls?
South Korea: 1,265 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Taiwan: no data
Quick answers
Are people taller in South Korea or Taiwan?
Men in South Korea are 2.0 cm taller than in Taiwan (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
