Iceland vs South Korea: Compare Statistics
Side-by-side comparison of 107 key metrics across economy, population, geography, and more — latest data through 2026.
Summary
Comparing Iceland and South Korea: Iceland leads on Major Urban Areas Population (216,000 people) against South Korea (9.99 people); South Korea leads on Irrigated Land (7,780) against Iceland (0.50); Iceland leads on Labor Force Participation Rate (248,400) against South Korea (29.71). Across 107 compared metrics, Iceland wins on 43 and South Korea wins on 51.
- Communications: 6 metrics compared
- Economy: 44 metrics compared
- Environment: 5 metrics compared
- Geography: 6 metrics compared
- Government: 4 metrics compared
- Health: 10 metrics compared
- Military and Security: 1 metric compared
- People and Society: 27 metrics compared
- Transportation: 4 metrics compared
Communications
6 metrics| Metric | 🇮🇸 Iceland | 🇰🇷 South Korea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet Usage Rate by Country (% of Population) | 99.83 %★ | 97.42 % | |
| Internet Users | percent of population: 100% (2023 est.) | percent of population: 97% (2023 est.) | |
| Press Freedom Index Score | 81.36 points★ | 64.06 points | |
| Radios | 260,000★ | 47.5 | |
| Televisions | 98,000★ | 15.9 | |
| Waterways | none | 1,609 |
Economy
44 metricsEnvironment
5 metrics| Metric | 🇮🇸 Iceland | 🇰🇷 South Korea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual CO₂ Emissions Growth (abs) | 294,776 | -5.50M★ | |
| Carbon Dioxide Emissions | 3.1★ | 644.23 | |
| Population Distribution | Iceland is almost entirely urban, with half of the population located in and around the capital of Reykjavik; smaller clusters are primarily found along the coast in the north and west | the population is primarily concentrated in the lowland areas, where density is high; Gyeonggi Province in the northwest, which surrounds the capital of Seoul and contains the port of Incheon, is the most densely populated province; Gangwon in the northea | |
| Total Renewable Groundwater Resources by Country | 24 Cubic meters per year★ | 13.3 Cubic meters per year | |
| Total Renewable Water Resources | 170★ | 69.7 |
Geography
6 metrics| Metric | 🇮🇸 Iceland | 🇰🇷 South Korea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of land area by degree of urbanization | 0.16 % | 11.86 %★ | |
| Above-Ground Biomass in Forest (tonnes/ha) | 23.66 | 131.69★ | |
| Agricultural land | 18,720 sq. km★ | 15,174 sq. km | |
| Coastline Length (km) | 4,970 km★ | 2,413 km | |
| Dam capacity per capita | 5,604.12 cubic meters per inhabitant★ | 362.21 cubic meters per inhabitant | |
| Irrigated Land | 0.5 | 7,780★ |
Government
4 metrics| Metric | 🇮🇸 Iceland | 🇰🇷 South Korea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rule of Law Index by Country | 96.93 %★ | 85.98 % | |
| Administrative Divisions | 64★ | 9 | |
| Independence | 1 | 15★ | |
| Suffrage Participation Rate | 18 | 18 |
Health
10 metrics| Metric | 🇮🇸 Iceland | 🇰🇷 South Korea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes Deaths Per 100,000 (Age-Std) | 7.94★ | 11.56 | |
| Diabetes Prevalence (% of Population) | 6.9 | 9.6★ | |
| Health Expenditure (% of GDP) | 8.6 % of GDP | 9.7 % of GDP★ | |
| HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate | 0.1 % | NA | |
| Hospital Bed Density | 2.8 people/sq km | 12.8 people/sq km★ | |
| Maternal Mortality Ratio (%) | 3 %★ | 4 % | |
| Mean Age at First Birth | 28.7 | 32.2★ | |
| Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate (%) | 21.9 % | 4.7 %★ | |
| People Living With HIV/AIDS | note: estimate does not include children | NA | |
| Underweight Children Under 5 | NA | 0.9 |
Military and Security
1 metric| Metric | 🇮🇸 Iceland | 🇰🇷 South Korea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Armed Forces Personnel (PPP) | 0 | 569,000★ |
People and Society
27 metricsTransportation
4 metrics| Metric | 🇮🇸 Iceland | 🇰🇷 South Korea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Travel Trips Per Capita (PPP) | 14.35★ | 1.32 | |
| Airports | 82 | 92★ | |
| Civil Air Travel | 20 | 93★ | |
| Heliports | 1 | 1,280★ |