In 2024, the population of South Korea was estimated to be about ***** million. The population of North Korea was approximately ***** million, which is roughly half the population of South Korea. Economic comparison between South and North Korea Following the Korean War (1950-1953), South Korea and North Korea pursued vastly different trajectories, both politically and economically. South Korea embraced capitalism and free market principles, which fueled its rapid economic growth and transformed it into one of the world's leading economies. In contrast, North Korea adopted a state-controlled, centrally planned economy, leading to isolation and economic stagnation. While South Korea's gross domestic product (GDP) reached around ***** trillion South Korean won in 2023, only about ** trillion won was recorded for North Korea. Food crisis in North Korea North Korea has faced food insecurity for a long time, and this has been exacerbated in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was estimated that the country had a food shortage of around ******* metric tons in 2023. Although the North Korean government maintains a centrally planned economic system, food distribution has long been a problem, as an increasing number of North Korean defectors have reported that they have never received food from North Korean authorities.

The total population in North Korea was estimated at 26.2 million people in 2023, according to the latest census figures and projections from Trading Economics. This dataset provides - North Korea Population - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

In 2025, the total population of South Korea is projected to be around ***** million. In thirty years, the number of people aged 15 to 64 is estimated to decrease by one-third, while the number of older adults is anticipated to more than double. Additionally, the overall population is expected to decline by around *** million people by that time. Declining birth rate Several factors are contributing to the expected demographic changes in South Korea. Firstly, the birth rate has been declining for years. As of 2024, South Korea had the lowest fertility rate in the world. This trend continues despite the efforts of successive governments to encourage young people to have children. An increasing number of South Korean women are prioritizing their careers, often choosing to focus on work rather than starting a family at a young age. While the employment rate for South Korean women is still lower than that of men, it has steadily risen over the past decade. Increase in life expectancy Secondly, life expectancy in South Korea has steadily increased due to improved living standards and healthcare. The average life expectancy at birth for South Koreans has risen from less than 75 years to almost 83 years over the past twenty years. As a result, the proportion of people aged 65 and older has grown from less than ** percent to around ** percent in the last decade.

North Korea KP: Population: Growth data was reported at 0.481 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 0.493 % for 2016. North Korea KP: Population: Growth data is updated yearly, averaging 1.444 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2.899 % in 1969 and a record low of 0.481 % in 2017. North Korea KP: Population: Growth data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s North Korea – Table KP.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage . Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.; ; Derived from total population. Population source: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision, (2) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (4) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Reprot (various years), (5) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database, and (6) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme.; Weighted average;

In 1800, it is estimated that approximately 4.35 million people lived in the region of present-day North Korea. This figure would remain stagnant through much of the 19th century, increasing by just one million people over the next 110 years. The dissolution of the Joseon dynasty in the Korean peninsula in the late-1800s marked the end of centuries of Korean isolationism, and the new Korean Empire then opened itself to foreign trade and influence. By the start of the 20th century, the region of North Korea had a population of just over five million. This growth would increase dramatically following the annexation of the Korean peninsula by Japan in 1910, as extensive industrialization and modernization efforts would result in the population of North Korea doubling from just over five million at the turn of the century, to over ten and a half million by the start of the Korean War in 1950. The Korean War Following Japan's defeat in the Second World War, the Korean Peninsula was split along the 38th parallel, with a Soviet-backed totalitarian government established in the north, and a U.S.-backed authoritarian government in the south. Neither government recognized the legitimacy of the other, and an escalation of tensions saw the North invade the South in June 1950. By 1953, the North's population dropped below ten million. It is estimated that there were approximately three million total fatalities in the war, with North Korea having the largest share of fatalities of all forces involved; however, the North's isolationist and secretive policies have made it difficult to calculate the full impact of the war on the North's population. Most modern estimates suggest that more than 1.5 million North Koreans died or went missing over these three years. Following the establishment of an armistice between North and South Korea in 1953, the population of the newly-formed Democratic People's Republic of North Korea would begin to rise sharply, from 10 million at the time of armistice to almost 15 million in 1970, just twenty years later. North Korea today North Korea's population has increased in each year since the war's end, however, the rate of growth decreased in the late 1970s, as a severe economic crisis and a resulting lack of foreign technology would lead to a scaling back of many of social welfare programs for the country’s citizens. Growth would slow even further following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, as the loss of Soviet foreign aid would send the North Korean economy into a sharp decline. In the 1990s, a series of flooding, droughts, famine and economic mismanagement led to the deaths of between 500,000 to 600,000* North Koreans. Recent years have seen an improvement in political relations between both the North and South, and even sporadic improvements with the U.S., which could lead to a less-isolated North Korea in the future; however, the continued testing of nuclear weapons and allegations of widespread human rights violations have drawn widespread criticism from the international community. In 2020, it is estimated that approximately 25.8 million people reside in North Korea.

Population ages 20-24, female (% of female population) in North Korea was reported at 6.754 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. North Korea - Population ages 20-24, female (% of female population) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

North Korea KP: Population: Total data was reported at 25,490,965.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 25,368,620.000 Person for 2016. North Korea KP: Population: Total data is updated yearly, averaging 19,851,039.000 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 25,490,965.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 11,424,176.000 Person in 1960. North Korea KP: Population: Total data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s North Korea – Table KP.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Total population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship. The values shown are midyear estimates.; ; (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision. (2) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (4) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Reprot (various years), (5) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database, and (6) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme.; Sum; Relevance to gender indicator: disaggregating the population composition by gender will help a country in projecting its demand for social services on a gender basis.

Total current population for South Korea in 2025 is 51,690,479, a 0.1% decline from 2024.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>Total population for South Korea in 2024 was <strong>51,741,963</strong>, a <strong>0.06% increase</strong> from 2023.</li>
<li>Total population for South Korea in 2023 was <strong>51,712,619</strong>, a <strong>0.08% increase</strong> from 2022.</li>
<li>Total population for South Korea in 2022 was <strong>51,672,569</strong>, a <strong>0.19% decline</strong> from 2021.</li>
</ul>Total population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship. The values shown are midyear estimates.

North Korea KP: Birth Rate: Crude: per 1000 People data was reported at 13.834 Ratio in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 13.873 Ratio for 2015. North Korea KP: Birth Rate: Crude: per 1000 People data is updated yearly, averaging 20.651 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2016, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 37.774 Ratio in 1968 and a record low of 13.834 Ratio in 2016. North Korea KP: Birth Rate: Crude: per 1000 People data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s North Korea – Table KP.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Crude birth rate indicates the number of live births occurring during the year, per 1,000 population estimated at midyear. Subtracting the crude death rate from the crude birth rate provides the rate of natural increase, which is equal to the rate of population change in the absence of migration.; ; (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision. (2) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (4) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Reprot (various years), (5) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database, and (6) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme.; Weighted average;

The statistic shows the total population of South Korea from 2020 to 2024, with projections up until 2030. In 2024, the total population of South Korea was about 51.75 million people. Population of South Korea South Korea, also called Republic of Korea, has one of the highest population densities worldwide, i.e. a very high number of inhabitants per square kilometer. However, this does not equal bad standard of living; on the Human Development Index, which ranks countries by their level of living standards using key factors, such as unemployment rate, literacy rate, fertility and mortality rates, etc., South Korea is among the highest-ranked countries. When looking at the aforementioned key factors, South Korea indeed seems to offer a fairly stable environment for its inhabitants, economically and demographically: The country’s unemployment rate has been relatively steady for the past decade, its gross domestic product (GDP) is constantly increasing, and it is among the countries with the highest trade surplus worldwide. As for standard of living, life expectancy at birth in South Korea is among the highest worldwide – South Korea is even mentioned in a recent ranking of the best birthplaces for children. Despite the high population density, South Korea is now one of the countries with the lowest fertility rates, i.e. the number of babies born by women of childbearing age. This apparent discrepancy could be explained by a high number of immigrants coupled with the aforementioned high life expectancy.

Population, female (% of total population) in North Korea was reported at 50.57 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. North Korea - Population, female (% of total) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

According to the 2008 and 2014 censuses, it was projected that the population of North Korea would be around 25.87 million in 2024. The population growth in North Korea was expected to decrease gradually, reaching approximately 22.47 million by 2070.

North Korea KP: Population: Male: Ages 30-34: % of Male Population data was reported at 7.529 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 7.529 % for 2016. North Korea KP: Population: Male: Ages 30-34: % of Male Population data is updated yearly, averaging 7.804 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 10.562 % in 2002 and a record low of 4.806 % in 1984. North Korea KP: Population: Male: Ages 30-34: % of Male Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s North Korea – Table KP.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Male population between the ages 30 to 34 as a percentage of the total male population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age/sex distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; ;

Historical chart and dataset showing North Korea population density by year from 1961 to 2022.

North Korea KP: Population: Female: Aged 15-64 data was reported at 8,885,953.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 8,792,444.000 Person for 2016. North Korea KP: Population: Female: Aged 15-64 data is updated yearly, averaging 6,921,318.000 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 8,885,953.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 3,721,236.000 Person in 1960. North Korea KP: Population: Female: Aged 15-64 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s North Korea – Table KP.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Female population between the ages 15 to 64. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.; ; World Bank staff estimates using the World Bank's total population and age/sex distributions of the United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Sum; Relevance to gender indicator: Knowing how many girls, adolescents and women there are in a population helps a country in determining its provision of services.

Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in South Korea was reported at 529 sq. Km in 2022, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. South Korea - Population density (people per sq. km) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on May of 2025.

Graph and download economic data for Population Growth for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (SPPOPGROWPRK) from 1961 to 2023 about North Korea, population, and rate.

Population ages 80 and above, female (% of female population) in North Korea was reported at 3.2847 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. North Korea - Population ages 80 and above, female (% of female population) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in North Korea was reported at 219 sq. Km in 2022, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. North Korea - Population density (people per sq. km) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Population ages 40-44, female (% of female population) in North Korea was reported at 6.2119 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. North Korea - Population ages 40-44, female (% of female population) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.