The duel
Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
South Korea fits inside the United States 98 times.
South Korea: 100,450 km² (2023) · United States: 9,831,510 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
The United States’ coastline is 8.3 times as long as South Korea’s.
South Korea: 2,413 km (2026 edition) · United States: 19,924 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
The United States’ highest peak towers 4,240 m above South Korea’s.
South Korea: 1,950 m (2026 edition) · United States: 6,190 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
The United States has 6.6 times as many people as South Korea.
South Korea: 51.7 million (2025) · United States: 342 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
South Korea is 14 times as densely populated as the United States.
South Korea: 530 per km² (2025) · United States: 37 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in the United States are 1.4 cm taller than in South Korea.
South Korea: 175.5 cm (2019) · United States: 176.9 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
The United States and South Korea are practically level.
South Korea: 163.2 cm (2019) · United States: 163.3 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in South Korea is 6.5 years older than in the United States.
South Korea: 44.5 years (2023) · United States: 38 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in the United States have 0.9 more children on average than in South Korea.
South Korea: 0.75 children per woman (2024) · United States: 1.63 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
20% of people in South Korea are 65 or older, versus 18% in the United States.
South Korea: 20.3% (2025) · United States: 18.4% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
The United States has produced 8.7 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, South Korea 0.6.
South Korea: 0.6 (2025) · United States: 8.7 (2025)
How many official languages?
South Korea and the United States are practically level.
South Korea: 1 (2026) · United States: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
The United States’ economy is 16 times the size of South Korea’s.
South Korea: $1.87 trillion (2025) · United States: $30.8 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
The United States produces 43% more per person than South Korea.
South Korea: Int$63,125 (2025) · United States: Int$90,027 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in the United States than in South Korea (Gini 8.9 points higher).
South Korea: 32.9 (2021) · United States: 41.8 (2024)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 4.2% in the United States, versus 2.7% in South Korea.
South Korea: 2.7% (2025) · United States: 4.2% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
The United States spends 3.4% of its GDP on the military, South Korea 2.6%.
South Korea: 2.6% (2024) · United States: 3.4% (2024)
How expensive is it?
The United States’ price level (US = 100) is 1.7× South Korea’s.
South Korea: 57% (2025) · United States: 100% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
The United States spends 4.3 times as much on health per person as South Korea.
South Korea: $3,137 (2024) · United States: $13,473 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in South Korea live 4.7 years longer than in the United States.
South Korea: 83.6 years (2024) · United States: 78.9 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in the United States is 2.4 times as likely to die before turning one as in South Korea.
South Korea: 2.3 per 1,000 (2024) · United States: 5.5 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
The United States has 41% more doctors per person than South Korea.
South Korea: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022) · United States: 3.7 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
42% of adults in the United States are obese, versus 7.5% in South Korea.
South Korea: 7.5% (2024) · United States: 41.8% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
19% of adults in South Korea smoke, versus 16% in the United States.
South Korea: 18.6% (2024) · United States: 15.8% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in the United States rate their lives 0.78 points higher than in South Korea.
South Korea: 6.04 (2025) · United States: 6.82 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in the United States drink 16% more alcohol than in South Korea.
South Korea: 8.3 litres (2023) · United States: 9.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
The United States has 45% more meat per person than South Korea.
South Korea: 84 kg (2023) · United States: 122.1 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
The United States has 517 kcal more food per person per day than South Korea.
South Korea: 3,430 kcal (2023) · United States: 3,947 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in South Korea put in 121 more hours a year than in the United States.
South Korea: 1,910 hours (2023) · United States: 1,789 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in the United States went to school 1.2 years longer than in South Korea.
South Korea: 12.7 years (2023) · United States: 13.9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
South Korea welcomed 49% more tourists per resident than the United States (2019).
South Korea: 0.32 (2024) · United States: 0.21 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
98% of people in South Korea are online, versus 95% in the United States.
South Korea: 98% (2024) · United States: 95% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
South Korea and the United States are practically level.
South Korea: 100% (2024) · United States: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
81% of people in South Korea live in cities, versus 80% in the United States.
South Korea: 81% (2025) · United States: 80% (2025)
How many phones per person?
South Korea has 173 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, the United States 113.
South Korea: 173 (2024) · United States: 113 (2024)
How much railway is there?
The United States’ railway network is 34 times as long as South Korea’s.
South Korea: 4,309 km (2021) · United States: 148,553 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from the United States fly 87% more passengers per resident than those from South Korea.
South Korea: 1.48 (2023) · United States: 2.75 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 64% of South Korea, but only 34% of the United States.
South Korea: 64.1% (2023) · United States: 33.9% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in the United States emits 26% more CO₂ than someone in South Korea.
South Korea: 11.3 t (2024) · United States: 14.2 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
26% of the United States’ electricity is renewable, versus 10% in South Korea.
South Korea: 10.4% (2025) · United States: 25.6% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in South Korea carries 2.8 times as much fine dust as in the United States.
South Korea: 21 µg/m³ (2024) · United States: 7.5 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 12 times as likely to be murdered in the United States as in South Korea.
South Korea: 0.5 per 100k (2023) · United States: 5.8 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in the United States are 2.1 times as deadly as in South Korea.
South Korea: 6.9 per 100k (2021) · United States: 14.2 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
South Korea is on average 2.8 °C warmer than the United States.
South Korea: 13.2°C (2016–2025 avg) · United States: 10.3°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
South Korea gets 49% more rain than the United States.
South Korea: 1,265 mm (2016–2025 avg) · United States: 849 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is South Korea bigger than the United States?
The United States is larger. South Korea fits inside the United States 98 times.
Which has more people, South Korea or the United States?
The United States has 6.6 times as many people as South Korea (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, South Korea or the United States?
People in South Korea live 4.7 years longer than in the United States. Life expectancy at birth is 83.6 years in South Korea and 78.9 in the United States.
Are people taller in South Korea or the United States?
Men in the United States are 1.4 cm taller than in South Korea (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
