Country comparison
North Korea South Korea
How do North Korea and South Korea compare on area, population, economy and living standards? Every figure below comes from open data, computed at build time.
North Korea vs South Korea at a glance
- North Korea's surface area is larger: about 1.2× South Korea's (120,540 km² vs 100,450 km²).
- North Korea's population is smaller: about 51% of South Korea's (26.6M vs 51.7M).
- GDP (total) for North Korea and South Korea is not available in the open-data indicators — this row shows N/A instead of a ratio.
- North Korea's population is about 51% of South Korea's.
North Korea vs South Korea in the world: Population
Population log axis
Every dot is one country with data — the two highlighted dots are these countries; the dashed line marks the world median. Wide-range metrics use a logarithmic axis (tagged).
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North KoreaSouth Korea — North Korea's population is about 51% of South Korea's.
| Metric | North Korea | South Korea | A vs B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population & land | |||
| Population | 26.6M (2025) | 51.7M (2025) | 51% |
| Population growth | 0.3% (2025) | -0.1% (2025) | N/A |
| Urban population share | 64.2% (2025) | 81.2% (2025) | 79% |
| Population aged 65+ | 12.7% (2025) | 20.3% (2025) | 63% |
| Fertility rate | 1.8 (2024) | 0.7 (2024) | 2.4× |
| Birth rate | 12.9‰ (2024) | 4.7‰ (2024) | 2.7× |
| Death rate | 9.9‰ (2024) | 7.0‰ (2024) | 1.4× |
| Net migration | -2.8K (2025) | 65.7K (2025) | N/A |
| Surface area | 120,540 km² (2023) | 100,450 km² (2023) | 1.2× |
| Population densityderived | 220/km² (2025) | 515/km² (2025) | 43% |
| Economy | |||
| GDP (total) | N/A | $1.9T (2025) | N/A |
| GDP per capita | N/A | $36,227 (2025) | N/A |
| GNI per capita | N/A | $37,880 (2025) | N/A |
| GDP growth (annual) | N/A | 1.0% (2025) | N/A |
| Inflation rate | N/A | 2.1% (2025) | N/A |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% (2025) | 2.7% (2025) | 1.3× |
| Gini index | N/A | 32.9 (2021) | N/A |
| Poverty rate ($2.15/day) | N/A | 0.1% (2021) | N/A |
| Trade & industry | |||
| Exports share of GDP | N/A | 45.8% (2025) | N/A |
| Imports share of GDP | N/A | 40.6% (2025) | N/A |
| Agriculture share of GDP | N/A | 1.5% (2025) | N/A |
| Manufacturing share of GDP | N/A | 27.4% (2025) | N/A |
| International tourist arrivals | N/A | 2.5M (2020) | N/A |
| Tourism receipts | N/A | $11.8B (2020) | N/A |
| Health & education | |||
| Life expectancy | 73.7 years (2024) | 83.6 years (2024) | 88% |
| Infant mortality | 13.3‰ (2024) | 2.3‰ (2024) | 5.8× |
| Under-five mortality | 16.7‰ (2024) | 2.8‰ (2024) | 6.0× |
| DPT immunization | 99.0% (2024) | 97.0% (2024) | 1.0× |
| Hospital beds | 12.8 per 1,000 (2018) | 12.8 per 1,000 (2022) | 100% |
| Health spending share of GDP | N/A | 8.7% (2024) | N/A |
| Secondary school enrollment | 94.3% (2015) | 96.3% (2024) | 98% |
| Education spending share of GDP | N/A | 5.4% (2022) | N/A |
| Society & living | |||
| Human Development Index | N/A | 0.937 (2023) | N/A |
| Internet users | 0.0% (2004) | 97.9% (2024) | N/A |
| Mobile subscriptions | 24.1 per 100 (2022) | 172.5 per 100 (2024) | 14% |
| Fixed broadband | N/A | 47.8 per 100 (2024) | N/A |
| Electricity access | 61.4% (2024) | 100.0% (2024) | 61% |
| Environment & security | |||
| CO₂ emissions per capita | 2.5 t (2024) | 11.4 t (2024) | 22% |
| CO₂ emissions (total)derived | 66.2 Mt (2024) | 588 Mt (2024) | 11% |
| Renewable electricity share | 63.1% (2021) | 6.6% (2021) | 9.6× |
| Renewable energy consumption | 14.7% (2021) | 3.6% (2021) | 4.1× |
| Forest area | 49.6% (2023) | 64.1% (2023) | 77% |
| Agricultural land | 21.6% (2023) | 16.1% (2023) | 1.3× |
| Arable land | 19.1% (2023) | 14.9% (2023) | 1.3× |
| PM2.5 exposure | 21.8 µg/m³ (2023) | 21.9 µg/m³ (2023) | 99% |
| Military spending | N/A | 2.6% (2024) | N/A |
Population density is our own derived metric: latest population ÷ the displayed surface area (World Bank surface-area figures where available) — so it can differ from the World Bank's own land-area-based density.
North Korea
- Capital
- Pyongyang
- Languages
- Korean
- Currencies
- KPW
- Subregion
- Eastern Asia
South Korea
- Capital
- Seoul
- Languages
- Korean
- Currencies
- KRW
- Subregion
- Eastern Asia
North Korea vs South Korea in five metrics
Full metric comparison
| Metric | North Korea | South Korea | A vs B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population & land | |||
| Population | 26.6M (2025) | 51.7M (2025) | 51% |
| Population growth | 0.3% (2025) | -0.1% (2025) | N/A |
| Urban population share | 64.2% (2025) | 81.2% (2025) | 79% |
| Population aged 65+ | 12.7% (2025) | 20.3% (2025) | 63% |
| Fertility rate | 1.8 (2024) | 0.7 (2024) | 2.4× |
| Birth rate | 12.9‰ (2024) | 4.7‰ (2024) | 2.7× |
| Death rate | 9.9‰ (2024) | 7.0‰ (2024) | 1.4× |
| Net migration | -2.8K (2025) | 65.7K (2025) | N/A |
| Surface area | 120,540 km² (2023) | 100,450 km² (2023) | 1.2× |
| Population density derived | 220/km² (2025) | 515/km² (2025) | 43% |
| Economy | |||
| GDP (total) | N/A | $1.9T (2025) | N/A |
| GDP per capita | N/A | $36,227 (2025) | N/A |
| GNI per capita | N/A | $37,880 (2025) | N/A |
| GDP growth (annual) | N/A | 1.0% (2025) | N/A |
| Inflation rate | N/A | 2.1% (2025) | N/A |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% (2025) | 2.7% (2025) | 1.3× |
| Gini index | N/A | 32.9 (2021) | N/A |
| Poverty rate ($2.15/day) | N/A | 0.1% (2021) | N/A |
| Trade & industry | |||
| Exports share of GDP | N/A | 45.8% (2025) | N/A |
| Imports share of GDP | N/A | 40.6% (2025) | N/A |
| Agriculture share of GDP | N/A | 1.5% (2025) | N/A |
| Manufacturing share of GDP | N/A | 27.4% (2025) | N/A |
| International tourist arrivals | N/A | 2.5M (2020) | N/A |
| Tourism receipts | N/A | $11.8B (2020) | N/A |
| Health & education | |||
| Life expectancy | 73.7 years (2024) | 83.6 years (2024) | 88% |
| Infant mortality | 13.3‰ (2024) | 2.3‰ (2024) | 5.8× |
| Under-five mortality | 16.7‰ (2024) | 2.8‰ (2024) | 6.0× |
| DPT immunization | 99.0% (2024) | 97.0% (2024) | 1.0× |
| Hospital beds | 12.8 per 1,000 (2018) | 12.8 per 1,000 (2022) | 100% |
| Health spending share of GDP | N/A | 8.7% (2024) | N/A |
| Secondary school enrollment | 94.3% (2015) | 96.3% (2024) | 98% |
| Education spending share of GDP | N/A | 5.4% (2022) | N/A |
| Society & living | |||
| Human Development Index | N/A | 0.937 (2023) | N/A |
| Internet users | 0.0% (2004) | 97.9% (2024) | N/A |
| Mobile subscriptions | 24.1 per 100 (2022) | 172.5 per 100 (2024) | 14% |
| Fixed broadband | N/A | 47.8 per 100 (2024) | N/A |
| Electricity access | 61.4% (2024) | 100.0% (2024) | 61% |
| Environment & security | |||
| CO₂ emissions per capita | 2.5 t (2024) | 11.4 t (2024) | 22% |
| CO₂ emissions (total) derived | 66.2 Mt (2024) | 588 Mt (2024) | 11% |
| Renewable electricity share | 63.1% (2021) | 6.6% (2021) | 9.6× |
| Renewable energy consumption | 14.7% (2021) | 3.6% (2021) | 4.1× |
| Forest area | 49.6% (2023) | 64.1% (2023) | 77% |
| Agricultural land | 21.6% (2023) | 16.1% (2023) | 1.3× |
| Arable land | 19.1% (2023) | 14.9% (2023) | 1.3× |
| PM2.5 exposure | 21.8 µg/m³ (2023) | 21.9 µg/m³ (2023) | 99% |
| Military spending | N/A | 2.6% (2024) | N/A |
Population density is our own derived metric: latest population ÷ the displayed surface area (World Bank surface-area figures where available) — so it can differ from the World Bank's own land-area-based density.
Reference facts
| Metric | North Korea | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| Capital | Pyongyang | Seoul |
| Languages | Korean | Korean |
| Currencies | KPW | KRW |
| Subregion | Eastern Asia | Eastern Asia |
Frequently asked questions
Which is bigger, North Korea or South Korea?
North Korea's surface area is larger: about 1.2× South Korea's (120,540 km² vs 100,450 km²).
Which has a larger population, North Korea or South Korea?
North Korea's population is smaller: about 51% of South Korea's (26.6M vs 51.7M).
Which economy is larger, North Korea or South Korea?
GDP (total) for North Korea and South Korea is not available in the open-data indicators — this row shows N/A instead of a ratio.
Which has a higher GDP per capita, North Korea or South Korea?
GDP per capita for North Korea and South Korea is not available in the open-data indicators — this row shows N/A instead of a ratio.
Related tools and comparisons
Open the interactive compare tool with North Korea and South Korea preselected
See North Korea and South Korea's true size on a drag-and-drop map →
Distance between North Korea and South Korea →
South Korea country profile: key metrics vs world median →
More comparisons with North Korea and South Korea
Data & method
Indicators: World Bank Open Data, 43 indicators — CC BY 4.0 © World Bank — https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/; Surface area (sq. km) — CC BY 4.0 © World Bank — https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/; Human Development Index — CC BY 3.0 IGO © United Nations Development Programme — https://hdr.undp.org/terms-use
Boundaries: Natural Earth 1:110m (public domain); surface areas follow the World Bank AG.SRF.TOTL.K2 figures, with mledoze/countries (or a measured Natural Earth boundary, marked †) only where World Bank coverage is missing.
Reference facts (capital, languages, currencies, subregion): mledoze/countries (ODbL).