Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
South Korea fits inside Türkiye 7.8 times.
South Korea: 100,450 km² (2023) · Türkiye: 785,350 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Türkiye’s coastline is 3 times as long as South Korea’s.
South Korea: 2,413 km (2026 edition) · Türkiye: 7,200 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Türkiye’s highest peak towers 3,187 m above South Korea’s.
South Korea: 1,950 m (2026 edition) · Türkiye: 5,137 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Türkiye has 66% more people than South Korea.
South Korea: 51.7 million (2025) · Türkiye: 85.9 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
South Korea is 4.7 times as densely populated as Türkiye.
South Korea: 530 per km² (2025) · Türkiye: 112 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Türkiye and South Korea are practically level.
South Korea: 175.5 cm (2019) · Türkiye: 176.4 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in South Korea are 1.4 cm taller than in Türkiye.
South Korea: 163.2 cm (2019) · Türkiye: 161.8 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in South Korea is 12 years older than in Türkiye.
South Korea: 44.5 years (2023) · Türkiye: 32.5 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Türkiye have 0.7 more children on average than in South Korea.
South Korea: 0.75 children per woman (2024) · Türkiye: 1.48 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
20% of people in South Korea are 65 or older, versus 11% in Türkiye.
South Korea: 20.3% (2025) · Türkiye: 10.6% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
South Korea has produced 0.6 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Türkiye 0.5.
South Korea: 0.6 (2025) · Türkiye: 0.5 (2025)
How many official languages?
South Korea and Türkiye are practically level.
South Korea: 1 (2026) · Türkiye: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
South Korea’s economy is 17% larger than Türkiye’s.
South Korea: $1.87 trillion (2025) · Türkiye: $1.6 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
South Korea produces 39% more per person than Türkiye.
South Korea: Int$63,125 (2025) · Türkiye: Int$45,289 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Türkiye than in South Korea (Gini 10.8 points higher).
South Korea: 32.9 (2021) · Türkiye: 43.7 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 8.5% in Türkiye, versus 2.7% in South Korea.
South Korea: 2.7% (2025) · Türkiye: 8.5% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
South Korea spends 2.6% of its GDP on the military, Türkiye 1.9%.
South Korea: 2.6% (2024) · Türkiye: 1.9% (2024)
How expensive is it?
South Korea’s price level (US = 100) is 1.4× Türkiye’s.
South Korea: 57% (2025) · Türkiye: 41% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
South Korea spends 5.7 times as much on health per person as Türkiye.
South Korea: $3,137 (2024) · Türkiye: $548 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in South Korea live 6.2 years longer than in Türkiye.
South Korea: 83.6 years (2024) · Türkiye: 77.4 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Türkiye is 3.5 times as likely to die before turning one as in South Korea.
South Korea: 2.3 per 1,000 (2024) · Türkiye: 8 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
South Korea has 17% more doctors per person than Türkiye.
South Korea: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022) · Türkiye: 2.2 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
30% of adults in Türkiye are obese, versus 7.5% in South Korea.
South Korea: 7.5% (2024) · Türkiye: 30.5% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
31% of adults in Türkiye smoke, versus 19% in South Korea.
South Korea: 18.6% (2024) · Türkiye: 31.1% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in South Korea rate their lives 0.74 points higher than in Türkiye.
South Korea: 6.04 (2025) · Türkiye: 5.30 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in South Korea drink 3.7 times as much alcohol as in Türkiye.
South Korea: 8.3 litres (2023) · Türkiye: 2.2 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
South Korea has 70% more meat per person than Türkiye.
South Korea: 84 kg (2023) · Türkiye: 49.4 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Türkiye has 462 kcal more food per person per day than South Korea.
South Korea: 3,430 kcal (2023) · Türkiye: 3,892 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in South Korea put in 163 more hours a year than in Türkiye.
South Korea: 1,910 hours (2023) · Türkiye: 1,747 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in South Korea went to school 3.7 years longer than in Türkiye.
South Korea: 12.7 years (2023) · Türkiye: 9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Türkiye welcomed 88% more tourists per resident than South Korea (2019).
South Korea: 0.32 (2024) · Türkiye: 0.59 (2022)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
98% of people in South Korea are online, versus 90% in Türkiye.
South Korea: 98% (2024) · Türkiye: 90% (2025)
Who has electricity at home?
South Korea and Türkiye are practically level.
South Korea: 100% (2024) · Türkiye: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
89% of people in Türkiye live in cities, versus 81% in South Korea.
South Korea: 81% (2025) · Türkiye: 89% (2025)
How many phones per person?
South Korea has 173 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Türkiye 108.
South Korea: 173 (2024) · Türkiye: 108 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Türkiye’s railway network is 2.4 times as long as South Korea’s.
South Korea: 4,309 km (2021) · Türkiye: 10,546 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
South Korea and Türkiye are nearly identical here.
South Korea: 1.48 (2023) · Türkiye: 1.47 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 64% of South Korea, but only 29% of Türkiye.
South Korea: 64.1% (2023) · Türkiye: 29.5% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in South Korea emits 92% more CO₂ than someone in Türkiye.
South Korea: 11.3 t (2024) · Türkiye: 5.9 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
43% of Türkiye’s electricity is renewable, versus 10% in South Korea.
South Korea: 10.4% (2025) · Türkiye: 43.3% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Türkiye carries 22% more fine dust than in South Korea.
South Korea: 21 µg/m³ (2024) · Türkiye: 25.6 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 6.8 times as likely to be murdered in Türkiye as in South Korea.
South Korea: 0.5 per 100k (2023) · Türkiye: 3.2 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in South Korea are 6% deadlier than in Türkiye.
South Korea: 6.9 per 100k (2021) · Türkiye: 6.5 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
South Korea is on average 0.5 °C warmer than Türkiye.
South Korea: 13.2°C (2016–2025 avg) · Türkiye: 12.7°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
South Korea gets 86% more rain than Türkiye.
South Korea: 1,265 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Türkiye: 680 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is South Korea bigger than Türkiye?
Türkiye is larger. South Korea fits inside Türkiye 7.8 times.
Which has more people, South Korea or Türkiye?
Türkiye has 66% more people than South Korea (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, South Korea or Türkiye?
People in South Korea live 6.2 years longer than in Türkiye. Life expectancy at birth is 83.6 years in South Korea and 77.4 in Türkiye.
Are people taller in South Korea or Türkiye?
Türkiye and South Korea are practically level (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
