Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
South Korea fits inside Uzbekistan 4.5 times.
South Korea: 100,450 km² (2023) · Uzbekistan: 448,920 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
South Korea: 2,413 km (2026 edition) · Uzbekistan: 0 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Uzbekistan’s highest peak towers 2,693 m above South Korea’s.
South Korea: 1,950 m (2026 edition) · Uzbekistan: 4,643 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
South Korea has 39% more people than Uzbekistan.
South Korea: 51.7 million (2025) · Uzbekistan: 37.1 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
South Korea is 6.3 times as densely populated as Uzbekistan.
South Korea: 530 per km² (2025) · Uzbekistan: 84 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in South Korea are 4.6 cm taller than in Uzbekistan.
South Korea: 175.5 cm (2019) · Uzbekistan: 170.9 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in South Korea are 2.9 cm taller than in Uzbekistan.
South Korea: 163.2 cm (2019) · Uzbekistan: 160.3 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in South Korea is 18 years older than in Uzbekistan.
South Korea: 44.5 years (2023) · Uzbekistan: 26.9 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Uzbekistan have 2.7 more children on average than in South Korea.
South Korea: 0.75 children per woman (2024) · Uzbekistan: 3.49 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
20% of people in South Korea are 65 or older, versus 6.1% in Uzbekistan.
South Korea: 20.3% (2025) · Uzbekistan: 6.1% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
South Korea has produced 0.6 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Uzbekistan 0.0.
South Korea: 0.6 (2025) · Uzbekistan: 0 (2025)
How many official languages?
Uzbekistan has 2 official languages, South Korea 1.
South Korea: 1 (2026) · Uzbekistan: 2 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
South Korea’s economy is 13 times the size of Uzbekistan’s.
South Korea: $1.87 trillion (2025) · Uzbekistan: $147 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
South Korea produces 4.6 times as much per person as Uzbekistan.
South Korea: Int$63,125 (2025) · Uzbekistan: Int$13,601 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in South Korea than in Uzbekistan (Gini 0.2 points higher).
South Korea: 32.9 (2021) · Uzbekistan: 32.7 (2025)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 4.6% in Uzbekistan, versus 2.7% in South Korea.
South Korea: 2.7% (2025) · Uzbekistan: 4.6% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Uzbekistan and South Korea are practically level.
South Korea: 2.6% (2024) · Uzbekistan: 2.9% (2018)
How expensive is it?
South Korea’s price level (US = 100) is 2× Uzbekistan’s.
South Korea: 57% (2025) · Uzbekistan: 29% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
South Korea spends 16 times as much on health per person as Uzbekistan.
South Korea: $3,137 (2024) · Uzbekistan: $192 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in South Korea live 11 years longer than in Uzbekistan.
South Korea: 83.6 years (2024) · Uzbekistan: 72.5 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Uzbekistan is 5.6 times as likely to die before turning one as in South Korea.
South Korea: 2.3 per 1,000 (2024) · Uzbekistan: 12.8 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Uzbekistan has 7% more doctors per person than South Korea.
South Korea: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022) · Uzbekistan: 2.8 per 1,000 (2021)
How common is obesity?
31% of adults in Uzbekistan are obese, versus 7.5% in South Korea.
South Korea: 7.5% (2024) · Uzbekistan: 30.6% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
19% of adults in South Korea smoke, versus 16% in Uzbekistan.
South Korea: 18.6% (2024) · Uzbekistan: 16.3% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Uzbekistan rate their lives 0.24 points higher than in South Korea.
South Korea: 6.04 (2025) · Uzbekistan: 6.28 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in South Korea drink 3.9 times as much alcohol as in Uzbekistan.
South Korea: 8.3 litres (2023) · Uzbekistan: 2.1 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
South Korea has 77% more meat per person than Uzbekistan.
South Korea: 84 kg (2023) · Uzbekistan: 47.4 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
South Korea has 133 kcal more food per person per day than Uzbekistan.
South Korea: 3,430 kcal (2023) · Uzbekistan: 3,297 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Uzbekistan put in 188 more hours a year than in South Korea.
South Korea: 1,910 hours (2023) · Uzbekistan: 2,099 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in South Korea went to school 0.81 years longer than in Uzbekistan.
South Korea: 12.7 years (2023) · Uzbekistan: 11.9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
South Korea welcomed 45% more tourists per resident than Uzbekistan (2019).
South Korea: 0.32 (2024) · Uzbekistan: 0.22 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
98% of people in South Korea are online, versus 90% in Uzbekistan.
South Korea: 98% (2024) · Uzbekistan: 90% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
South Korea and Uzbekistan are practically level.
South Korea: 100% (2024) · Uzbekistan: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
81% of people in South Korea live in cities, versus 51% in Uzbekistan.
South Korea: 81% (2025) · Uzbekistan: 51% (2025)
How many phones per person?
South Korea has 173 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Uzbekistan 110.
South Korea: 173 (2024) · Uzbekistan: 110 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Uzbekistan’s railway network is 10% longer than South Korea’s.
South Korea: 4,309 km (2021) · Uzbekistan: 4,732 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from South Korea fly 11 times as many passengers per resident as those from Uzbekistan.
South Korea: 1.48 (2023) · Uzbekistan: 0.13 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 64% of South Korea, but only 8.5% of Uzbekistan.
South Korea: 64.1% (2023) · Uzbekistan: 8.5% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in South Korea emits 2.9 times as much CO₂ as someone in Uzbekistan.
South Korea: 11.3 t (2024) · Uzbekistan: 3.8 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
19% of Uzbekistan’s electricity is renewable, versus 10% in South Korea.
South Korea: 10.4% (2025) · Uzbekistan: 19.4% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Uzbekistan carries 43% more fine dust than in South Korea.
South Korea: 21 µg/m³ (2024) · Uzbekistan: 30 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 2.9 times as likely to be murdered in Uzbekistan as in South Korea.
South Korea: 0.5 per 100k (2023) · Uzbekistan: 1.4 per 100k (2021)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Uzbekistan are 35% deadlier than in South Korea.
South Korea: 6.9 per 100k (2021) · Uzbekistan: 9.3 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Uzbekistan is on average 1.2 °C warmer than South Korea.
South Korea: 13.2°C (2016–2025 avg) · Uzbekistan: 14.4°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
South Korea gets 5.7 times as much rain as Uzbekistan.
South Korea: 1,265 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Uzbekistan: 221 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is South Korea bigger than Uzbekistan?
Uzbekistan is larger. South Korea fits inside Uzbekistan 4.5 times.
Which has more people, South Korea or Uzbekistan?
South Korea has 39% more people than Uzbekistan (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, South Korea or Uzbekistan?
People in South Korea live 11 years longer than in Uzbekistan. Life expectancy at birth is 83.6 years in South Korea and 72.5 in Uzbekistan.
Are people taller in South Korea or Uzbekistan?
Men in South Korea are 4.6 cm taller than in Uzbekistan (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
