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 1.3× South Korea's (125,460 km² vs 99,054 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.
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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 | 125,460 km² | 99,054 km² | 1.3× |
| Population densityderived | 212/km² (2025) | 522/km² (2025) | 41% |
| 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 equal-area surface area computed from Natural Earth boundaries — the same area basis as the true-size tool.
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 | 125,460 km² | 99,054 km² | 1.3× |
| Population density derived | 212/km² (2025) | 522/km² (2025) | 41% |
| 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 equal-area surface area computed from Natural Earth boundaries — the same area basis as the true-size tool.
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 1.3× South Korea's (125,460 km² vs 99,054 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.
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/; 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 are computed with an equal-area spherical formula (Chamberlin–Duquette).
Reference facts (capital, languages, currencies, subregion): mledoze/countries (ODbL).