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 26.5 million people in 2024, 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 2023, South Korea had a population density of *** inhabitants per square kilometer, while of North Korea was *** inhabitants per square kilometer. The population density in South Korea is approximately twice that of North Korea.

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.

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;

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.

Population ages 20-24, female (% of female population) in North Korea was reported at 6.5807 % in 2024, 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: Female: Ages 30-34: % of Female Population data was reported at 6.994 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 6.994 % for 2016. North Korea KP: Population: Female: Ages 30-34: % of Female Population data is updated yearly, averaging 7.654 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 9.872 % in 2002 and a record low of 4.769 % in 1984. North Korea KP: Population: Female: Ages 30-34: % of Female 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. Female population between the ages 30 to 34 as a percentage of the total female population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age/sex distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; ;

Population, female (% of total population) in North Korea was reported at 50.53 % in 2024, 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.

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, male in North Korea was reported at 13058006 Persons in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. North Korea - Population, male - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

In 1800, it is estimated that approximately 9.4 million people lived in the region of modern-day South Korea (and 13.8 million on the entire peninsula). The population of this region would remain fairly constant through much of the 19th century, but would begin to grow gradually starting in the mid-1800s, as the fall of the Joseon dynasty and pressure from the U.S. and Japan would end centuries of Korean isolationism. Following the opening of the country to foreign trade, the Korean peninsula would begin to modernize, and by the start of the 20th century, it would have a population of just over ten million. The Korean peninsula was then annexed by Japan in 1910, whose regime implemented industrialization and modernization policies that saw the population of South Korea rising from just under ten million in 1900, to over fifteen million by the start of the Second World War in 1939.

The Korean War Like most regions, the end of the Second World War coincided with a baby boom, that helped see South Korea's population grow by almost two million between 1945 and 1950. However, this boom would stop suddenly in the early 1950s, due to disruption caused by the Korean War. After WWII, the peninsula was split along the 38th parallel, with governments on both sides claiming to be the legitimate rulers of all Korea. Five years of tensions then culminated in North Korea's invasion of the South in June 1950, in the first major conflict of the Cold War. In September, the UN-backed South then repelled the Soviet- and Chinese-backed Northern army, and the frontlines would then fluctuate on either side of the 38th parallel throughout the next three years. The war came to an end in July, 1953, and had an estimated death toll of three million fatalities. The majority of fatalities were civilians on both sides, although the North suffered a disproportionate amount due to extensive bombing campaigns of the U.S. Unlike North Korea, the South's total population did not fall during the war.

Post-war South Korea Between the war's end and the late 1980s, the South's total population more than doubled. In these decades, South Korea was generally viewed as a nominal democracy under authoritarian and military leadership; it was not until 1988 when South Korea transitioned into a stable democracy, and grew its international presence. Much of South Korea's rapid socio-economic growth in the late 20th century was based on the West German model, and was greatly assisted by Japanese and U.S. investment. Today, South Korea is considered one of the world's wealthiest and most developed nations, ranking highly in terms of GDP, human development and life expectancy; it is home to some of the most valuable brands in the world, such as Samsung and Hyundai; and has a growing international cultural presence in music and cinema. In the past decades, South Korea's population growth has somewhat slowed, however it remains one of the most densely populated countries in the world, with total population of more than 51 million people.

North Korea KP: International Migrant Stock: % of Population data was reported at 0.193 % in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 0.180 % for 2010. North Korea KP: International Migrant Stock: % of Population data is updated yearly, averaging 0.169 % from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2015, with 6 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.193 % in 2015 and a record low of 0.158 % in 2000. North Korea KP: International Migrant Stock: % of 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. International migrant stock is the number of people born in a country other than that in which they live. It also includes refugees. The data used to estimate the international migrant stock at a particular time are obtained mainly from population censuses. The estimates are derived from the data on foreign-born population--people who have residence in one country but were born in another country. When data on the foreign-born population are not available, data on foreign population--that is, people who are citizens of a country other than the country in which they reside--are used as estimates. After the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991 people living in one of the newly independent countries who were born in another were classified as international migrants. Estimates of migrant stock in the newly independent states from 1990 on are based on the 1989 census of the Soviet Union. For countries with information on the international migrant stock for at least two points in time, interpolation or extrapolation was used to estimate the international migrant stock on July 1 of the reference years. For countries with only one observation, estimates for the reference years were derived using rates of change in the migrant stock in the years preceding or following the single observation available. A model was used to estimate migrants for countries that had no data.; ; United Nations Population Division, Trends in Total Migrant Stock: 2008 Revision.; Weighted average;

Age dependency ratio (% of working-age population) in North Korea was reported at 45.66 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. North Korea - Age dependency ratio (% of working-age population) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

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: Population growth, percent: The latest value from 2023 is 0.35 percent, a decline from 0.37 percent in 2022. In comparison, the world average is 1.15 percent, based on data from 196 countries. Historically, the average for North Korea from 1961 to 2023 is 1.28 percent. The minimum value, 0.35 percent, was reached in 2023 while the maximum of 2.82 percent was recorded in 1968.

Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in North Korea was reported at 3183135 in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. North Korea - Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million - 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.

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.; ;

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.