Geo Factbook Logo
Geo Factbook

South Korea vs United Arab Emirates: Compare Statistics

Side-by-side comparison of 109 key metrics across economy, population, geography, and more — latest data through 2026.

South Korea
kor
Leads on 57 of 109 metrics
United Arab Emirates
are
Leads on 38 of 109 metrics

Summary

Comparing South Korea and United Arab Emirates: United Arab Emirates leads on Refined Petroleum Products Exports (817,700) against South Korea (1.40); South Korea leads on Oil Exports (907,100) against United Arab Emirates (2.40); United Arab Emirates leads on Refined Petroleum Products Consumption (896,000) against South Korea (2.58). Across 109 compared metrics, South Korea wins on 57 and United Arab Emirates wins on 38.

  • Communications: 6 metrics compared
  • Economy: 44 metrics compared
  • Environment: 5 metrics compared
  • Geography: 6 metrics compared
  • Government: 4 metrics compared
  • Health: 9 metrics compared
  • Military and Security: 1 metric compared
  • People and Society: 29 metrics compared
  • Transportation: 5 metrics compared

Communications

6 metrics
Metric🇰🇷 South Korea🇦🇪 United Arab EmiratesShare
Internet Usage Rate by Country (% of Population)97.9 %100 %★
Internet Userspercent of population: 97% (2023 est.)percent of population: 100% (2023 est.)
Press Freedom Index Score64.06 points★26.91 points
Radios47.5820,000★
Televisions15.9310,000★
Waterways1,609none

Economy

44 metrics
Metric🇰🇷 South Korea🇦🇪 United Arab EmiratesShare
Agriculture Value Added as a Share of GDP by Country30.14B $★5.37B $
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by Country in Current US Dollars1.91T $★669.39B $
Central Bank Discount Rate (%)1.5 %NA
Coal Revenue00
Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate (%)3.48 %6 %★
Current Health Expenditure (% of GDP)7.6 % of GDP★4.2 % of GDP
Ease of Doing Business Index93.4★74.1
Electricity Consumption507.6★113.2
Electricity Exports00
Electricity from Fossil Fuels7099★
Electricity from Hydroelectric Plants2★0
Electricity from Nuclear Fuels21★0
Electricity from Other Renewables8★1
Electricity Imports01.14★
Electricity Installed Capacity111.2★28.91
Electricity Production526★121.8
Energy Consumption per Capita (USD)234.67 USD per capita450.43 USD per capita★
Gini Index Coefficient32.9★26.4
Gross Fixed Investment27.428.5★
Gross National Saving36.6★28.5
Industrial Production Growth Rate (%)1.1 %★0.8 %
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)2.3 %1.7 %★
Military Expenditures (% of GDP)2.3 % of GDP4 % of GDP★
Natural Gas Consumption45.2874.48★
Natural Gas Exports07.5★
Natural Gas Imports48.65★20.22
Natural Gas Production339.8★62.01
Natural Gas Proved Reserves7.08★6.09
Oil Consumption2.25545,000★
Oil Exports907,100★2.4
Oil Imports3.07235,300★
Oil Production48,400★2.81
Oil Proved Reserves097.8★
Population Below Poverty Line14.4 people★19.5 people
Public Debt52.319.7★
Real GDP Growth Rate (USD)1.4 USD3.8 USD★
Refined Petroleum Products Consumption2.58896,000★
Refined Petroleum Products Exports1.4817,700★
Refined Petroleum Products Imports908,800★392,000
Refined Petroleum Products Production3.3943,500★
Revenue from Forest Resources0.01★0
Share of population in poverty ($3 a day)0.250★
Taxes and Other Revenues15.7★0.6
Unemployment Rate2.7 %2.2 %★

Environment

5 metrics
Metric🇰🇷 South Korea🇦🇪 United Arab EmiratesShare
Annual CO₂ Emissions Growth (abs)-5.50M★11.56M
Carbon Dioxide Emissions644.23271.7★
Population Distributionthe 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 northeapopulation is heavily concentrated to the northeast on the Musandam Peninsula; the three largest emirates -- Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah -- are home to nearly 85% of the population
Total Renewable Groundwater Resources by Country13.3 Cubic meters per year★0.12 Cubic meters per year
Total Renewable Water Resources69.7150★

Geography

6 metrics
Metric🇰🇷 South Korea🇦🇪 United Arab EmiratesShare
Percentage of land area by degree of urbanization11.86 %★4.91 %
Above-Ground Biomass in Forest (tonnes/ha)131.69★74.43
Agricultural land15,174 sq. km★4,014.84 sq. km
Coastline Length (km)2,413 km★1,318 km
Dam capacity per capita362.21 cubic meters per inhabitant★5.49 cubic meters per inhabitant
Irrigated Land7,780★940

Government

4 metrics
Metric🇰🇷 South Korea🇦🇪 United Arab EmiratesShare
Rule of Law Index by Country85.98 %★79.62 %
Administrative Divisions9★7
Independence15★2
Suffrage Participation Rate18limited note: rulers of the seven emirates each select a proportion of voters for the Federal National Council (FNC) that accounts for about 12 percent of Emirati citizens

Health

9 metrics
Metric🇰🇷 South Korea🇦🇪 United Arab EmiratesShare
Diabetes Deaths Per 100,000 (Age-Std)9.92★11.12
Diabetes Prevalence (% of Population)9.620.7★
Health Expenditure (% of GDP)9.7 % of GDP★5.3 % of GDP
HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence RateNANA
Hospital Bed Density12.8 people/sq km★2 people/sq km
Maternal Mortality Ratio (%)4 %3 %★
Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate (%)4.7 %★31.7 %
People Living With HIV/AIDSNA<1,000 (2020)
Underweight Children Under 50.9NA

Military and Security

1 metric
Metric🇰🇷 South Korea🇦🇪 United Arab EmiratesShare
Total Armed Forces Personnel (PPP)569,000★63,000

People and Society

29 metrics
Metric🇰🇷 South Korea🇦🇪 United Arab EmiratesShare
Currently married (Percent)42.12 %69.02 %★
Human Capital Index0.8★0.71
Life expectancy at birth87.65 years★85.97 years
Median age of population46.18 years★31.86 years
Population Change-34,023.3 persons235,550.7 persons★
Population density521.76 per sq. km165.84 per sq. km★
Total population51.62M persons★11.66M persons
Academic Freedom Index0.85★0.2
Birth Rate (%)4.29 %10.65 %★
Contraceptive Prevalence Rate82.3 %NA
Death Rate (%)6.94 %1.73 %★
Education Expenditure (% of GDP)5.8 % of GDP★3.9 % of GDP
Female population of reproductive age10.86M persons★2.84M persons
Labor Force Participation Rate29.71★7.09
Learning-adjusted years of school11.74 years★10.33 years
Length of paid parental leave for mother365 days★17.5 days
Major Urban Areas Population9.99 people★3.01 people
Mean Male Height (cm)174.92★170.46
Military Manpower at Military Age1818
Military Service Age and Obligation1818
Percentage of population by degree of urbanization90.48 %91.5 %★
Physician Density2.61 people/sq km2.99 people/sq km★
Population Growth Rate-0.09 %0.62 %★
Population living in slums5.46 %★-0.04 %
Total deaths375,161.5 persons9,956.5 persons★
Total demand for family planning (Percent)54.27 %★48.76 %
Total fertility rate0.72 per woman1.23 per woman★
Total net-migration106,057.5 persons125,185 persons★
Under-five mortality rate2.38 per live births★5.88 per live births

Transportation

5 metrics
Metric🇰🇷 South Korea🇦🇪 United Arab EmiratesShare
Air Travel Trips Per Capita (PPP)1.323★
Airports92★42
Annual Human Space Visits (Total)00
Civil Air Travel93★10
Heliports1,280★204

Related comparisons

More South Korea comparisons

More United Arab Emirates comparisons