Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
South Korea: 100,460 km² (2024) · 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)
How much of the land is farmed?
South Korea: 16% (2024) · Taiwan: no data
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 refugees does it host?
South Korea: 0.1 per 1,000 (2025) · Taiwan: no data
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
South Korea: 0.6 (2026) · 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 live on less than $3 a day?
South Korea: 0.1% (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% (2025) · Taiwan: no data
How much does the central government collect in tax?
South Korea: 13.3% (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 many hospital beds are there?
South Korea: 12.8 per 1,000 (2022) · Taiwan: no data
How common is suicide?
South Korea: 23.4 per 100k (2023) · 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
How many World Heritage sites?
South Korea: 17 (2026) · Taiwan: no data
How many Olympic medals has it won?
South Korea has won 409 Olympic medals, Taiwan 43
South Korea: 409 (2026 edition) · Taiwan: 43 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
South Korea: 98% (2024) · Taiwan: no data
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in South Korea is 14% faster than in Taiwan
South Korea: 298 Mbps (2026) · Taiwan: 260 Mbps (2026)
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: 64.4% (2024) · 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: 8.7 per 100k (2023) · 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
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
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).
