South Korea vs United States: Compare Statistics
Side-by-side comparison of 112 key metrics across economy, population, geography, and more — latest data through 2026.
Summary
Comparing South Korea and United States: South Korea leads on Oil Exports (907,100) against United States (1.92); South Korea leads on Refined Petroleum Products Imports (908,800) against United States (2.17); South Korea leads on Oil Production (48,400) against United States (9.69). Across 112 compared metrics, South Korea wins on 43 and United States wins on 61.
- Communications: 6 metrics compared
- Economy: 45 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: 30 metrics compared
- Transportation: 5 metrics compared
Communications
6 metrics| Metric | 🇰🇷 South Korea | 🇺🇸 United States | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet Usage Rate by Country (% of Population) | 97.42 %★ | 93.14 % | |
| Internet Users | percent of population: 97% (2023 est.) | percent of population: 93% (2023 est.) | |
| Press Freedom Index Score | 64.06 points | 65.49 points★ | |
| Radios | 47.5 | 575★ | |
| Televisions | 15.9 | 219★ | |
| Waterways | 1,600 | 41,009★ |
Economy
45 metricsEnvironment
5 metrics| Metric | 🇰🇷 South Korea | 🇺🇸 United States | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual CO₂ Emissions Growth (abs) | -5.50M | -14.29M★ | |
| Carbon Dioxide Emissions | 644.23 | 4.8★ | |
| Population Distribution | 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 | large urban clusters are spread throughout the eastern half of the US (particularly the Great Lakes area, northeast, east, and southeast) and the western-tier states; mountainous areas such as the Rocky Mountains and Appalachians, deserts in the southwest | |
| Total Renewable Groundwater Resources by Country | 13.3 Cubic meters per year | 1,383 Cubic meters per year★ | |
| Total Renewable Water Resources | 69.7★ | 3.07 |
Geography
6 metrics| Metric | 🇰🇷 South Korea | 🇺🇸 United States | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of land area by degree of urbanization | 11.86 %★ | 2.11 % | |
| Above-Ground Biomass in Forest (tonnes/ha) | 131.69★ | 94.67 | |
| Agricultural land | 15,174 sq. km | 4.17M sq. km★ | |
| Coastline Length (km) | 2,413 km | 19,924 km★ | |
| Dam capacity per capita | 362.21 cubic meters per inhabitant | 2,113 cubic meters per inhabitant★ | |
| Irrigated Land | 7,780 | 234,782★ |
Government
4 metrics| Metric | 🇰🇷 South Korea | 🇺🇸 United States | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rule of Law Index by Country | 85.98 % | 88.3 %★ | |
| Administrative Divisions | 9 | 50★ | |
| Independence | 15★ | 4 | |
| Suffrage Participation Rate | 18 | 18 |
Health
10 metrics| Metric | 🇰🇷 South Korea | 🇺🇸 United States | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes Deaths Per 100,000 (Age-Std) | 11.56★ | 26.21 | |
| Diabetes Prevalence (% of Population) | 9.6 | 13.7★ | |
| Health Expenditure (% of GDP) | 9.7 % of GDP | 16.6 % of GDP★ | |
| HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate | NA | NA | |
| Hospital Bed Density | 12.8 people/sq km★ | 2.7 people/sq km | |
| Maternal Mortality Ratio (%) | 4 %★ | 17 % | |
| Mean Age at First Birth | 32.2★ | 27.5 | |
| Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate (%) | 4.7 %★ | 36.2 % | |
| People Living With HIV/AIDS | NA | NA | |
| Underweight Children Under 5 | 0.4 | 0.4 |
Military and Security
1 metric| Metric | 🇰🇷 South Korea | 🇺🇸 United States | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Armed Forces Personnel (PPP) | 569,000 | 1.40M★ |
People and Society
30 metricsTransportation
5 metrics| Metric | 🇰🇷 South Korea | 🇺🇸 United States | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Travel Trips Per Capita (PPP) | 1.32 | 2.06★ | |
| Airports | 92 | 16,116★ | |
| Annual Human Space Visits (Total) | 0 | 3★ | |
| Civil Air Travel | 93 | 8,252★ | |
| Heliports | 1,280 | 8,130★ |