Compare South Korea vs United States
17 measurements published for both countries, each with the source that published it and the date it was checked. United States vs South Korea is the same comparison.
United States has a GDP per capita of $86,170 against $36,227; South Korea has a labour force participation of 64.4% against 61.7%.
| Measurement | South Korea | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Money and work | ||
| GDP per capitaUS dollars per person | $36,2272025-12-31World Bank | $86,170 — better on this measurement2024-12-31World Bank |
| Labour force participationshare of the working-age population | 64.4% — better on this measurement2025-12-31World Bank | 61.7%2025-12-31World Bank |
| Top income tax ratestatutory, top bracket; excludes social contributions | 45.00%2025-01-01nts.go.kr | 37.00% — better on this measurement2026irs.gov |
| Corporate tax ratestatutory | 24.00%2025-12-31OECD | 21.00% — better on this measurement2026irs.gov |
| Standard VATno national VAT; sales taxes are set locally | 10%2026-08-03nts.go.kr | 0%2025-12-31congress.gov |
| Median gross salaryper month, national | €1,9112024-12-31mods.go.kr | €4,747 — better on this measurement2026-08-03FRED |
| Settling in | ||
| Migrant integration policyMIPEX; higher is more favourable | 65 / 1002020-12-31MIPEX | 69 / 100 — better on this measurement2020-12-31MIPEX |
| Foreign residentstotal | 2,783,2472025-12-31kosis.kr | 50,234,8582024-12-31www2.census.gov |
| AreaUnited States is about 98× the size of South Korea | 100,450 km²2023-12-31World Bank | 9,831,510 km²2023-12-31World Bank |
| Populationtotal | 51,751,0652024-12-31World Bank | 340,003,7972024-12-31World Bank |
| Daily life | ||
| Life expectancyat birth | 83.6 years — better on this measurement2024-12-31World Bank | 78.9 years2026-07-14World Bank |
| Homicide rateper 100,000 people | 0.48 — better on this measurement2023-12-31World Bank | 5.762023-12-31World Bank |
| Road traffic deathsper 100,000 people per year | 6.9 — better on this measurement2021-12-31WHO | 14.22021-12-31WHO |
| Household electricityeuros per kWh | €0.0936 — better on this measurement2025-12-31kepco.co.kr | €0.15922026-06-30eia.gov |
| Fixed broadbandsubscriptions per 100 inhabitants | 47.8% — better on this measurement2024-12-31OECD | 39.5%2024-12-31OECD |
| Physiciansper 1,000 people | 2.612022-12-31World Bank | 3.68 — better on this measurement2022-12-31World Bank |
| Hospital bedsper 1,000 people; a measure of system structure, not of care quality | 12.812022-12-31World Bank | 2.682022-12-31World Bank |
How this comparison is built
A measurement appears only when both countries publish a current value for it in the official lane. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap, and no value is converted between different definitions to make a row line up.
The better value is marked only where the two sides are the same measurement in the same unit. Where they are not — a figure that describes how a system is organised rather than how well it performs, for instance — both numbers are shown and neither is marked.
Full country data: South Korea · United States.