🇰🇵What's the population of North Korea?

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Population

Area

Demographics

Immigrants

Share of population born abroad

0.19%

50.4K people · 2024

Country of birth

• China
  59.0% · 29.8K
• South Korea
  11.1% · 5.6K
• Philippines
  6.0% · 3K
• Brazil
  5.7% · 2.9K
• Indonesia
  2.9% · 1.5K
• Other countries
  10.8% · 5.4K
• Unknown
  4.4% · 2.2K

• The UN counts an international migrant as anyone living outside the country they were born in — including students, workers, spouses and people who have since naturalized.
• Includes refugees and asylum seekers reported by UNHCR.
• "Unknown" is the number the UN could not assign to a country of origin.

Economy

Nominal GDP

$35,925,925,926

Currency

KPW

Monthly temperature & rainfall

Best time to visit North Korea tends to be around July, when average highs sit near 30.9°C.

Religion

• Unaffiliated 64.3%
• Folk religion 16%
• Chondoism 13.5%
• Buddhism 4.5%
• Christianity 2%

Language

Official language(s)

ko

English proficiency

Very low

Travel essentials

Time zone

Asia/Pyongyang

Electricity

230V · C/F

Driving side

Right

Calling code

+850

Emergency number

110

Reports featuring North Korea

• The Country Most Like South Korea on Paper Ranks Last on Income: The Two Koreas, ComparedOf the 53 countries WhatsThePop tracks, only North Korea matches South Korea on climate, plugs, driving side, time zone, and language. Yet income per person is $36,227 in the South and an estimated $1,387 in the North — a 26-fold gap. And the North is actually 1.2 times larger.
• 3.5% of People in South Korea Were Born Abroad — In 1990 It Was 0.04%In 1990, 18,499 people living in South Korea had been born abroad — 0.04% of the population. In 2024 it is 1.81 million, or 3.5%, just under the world average of 3.7%. Sort the same data by head count instead of share and an entirely different list of countries appears.
• South Korea's Fertility Rate Is 0.72 — By 2050 It Will Be Older Than JapanSouth Korea's 2023 fertility rate was 0.72 births per woman — the lowest of the 53 countries this site tracks. UN population projections put its 65-and-over share at 39.7% by 2050, overtaking Japan (37.5%), the country usually cited as the world's oldest.
• Why South Korea Ranks Among the World's Densest Countries: SeoulAmong the 53 countries WhatsThePop tracks, South Korea ranks 2nd in population density at 516 people per km². The real driver is Seoul alone — its density of 15,828/km² almost exactly matches Tokyo's 23 wards, and trails cities like Manila.
• 13 Plug Standards, 53 Countries — Only 17 Match South Korea's ExactlyWe checked the plug type and voltage for all 53 countries WhatsThePop tracks. There are 13 distinct standards — only 17 match South Korea's C/F, 220V setup exactly, and 16 need a completely different adapter.

Sources & data

• population: Bank of Korea DPRK GDP/GNI estimate (2025년 북한 경제성장률 추정 결과), converted from KRW at ~1,350 KRW/USD; population from CIA World Factbook (2026-07)
• area: world-countries (Wikidata-derived) (2026-08)
• gdp_nominal_usd: Bank of Korea DPRK GDP/GNI estimate (2025년 북한 경제성장률 추정 결과), converted from KRW at ~1,350 KRW/USD; population from CIA World Factbook (2026-07)
• gdp_per_capita_usd: Bank of Korea DPRK GDP/GNI estimate (2025년 북한 경제성장률 추정 결과), converted from KRW at ~1,350 KRW/USD; population from CIA World Factbook (2026-07)
• religions: Manual curation (Pew Research) (2026-08)
• industries: Manual curation (CIA World Factbook) (2026-08)
• climate: Open-Meteo Historical Weather API (2026-08)
• migrants: UN DESA International Migrant Stock 2024 (2026-09)

FAQ

What is the population of North Korea?

North Korea — 26.4M (2025)

How big is North Korea?

120,538 km²

What is the capital of North Korea?

Pyongyang

What is the GDP per capita of North Korea?

$1,387

What language is spoken in North Korea?

ko