Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Hong Kong fits inside North Korea 109 times.
Hong Kong: 1,110 km² (2023) · North Korea: 120,540 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
North Korea’s coastline is 3.4 times as long as Hong Kong’s.
Hong Kong: 733 km (2026 edition) · North Korea: 2,495 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
North Korea’s highest peak towers 1,786 m above Hong Kong’s.
Hong Kong: 958 m (2026 edition) · North Korea: 2,744 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
North Korea has 3.5 times as many people as Hong Kong.
Hong Kong: 7.5 million (2025) · North Korea: 26.6 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Hong Kong is 32 times as densely populated as North Korea.
Hong Kong: 7,142 per km² (2025) · North Korea: 221 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Hong Kong and North Korea are practically level.
Hong Kong: 174.8 cm (2019) · North Korea: 174.7 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
North Korea and Hong Kong are practically level.
Hong Kong: 160.6 cm (2019) · North Korea: 161.2 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Hong Kong is 10 years older than in North Korea.
Hong Kong: 46.2 years (2023) · North Korea: 36 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in North Korea have 0.9 more children on average than in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong: 0.84 children per woman (2024) · North Korea: 1.78 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
24% of people in Hong Kong are 65 or older, versus 13% in North Korea.
Hong Kong: 23.7% (2025) · North Korea: 12.7% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Hong Kong and North Korea are practically level.
Hong Kong: 0 (2025) · North Korea: 0 (2025)
How many official languages?
Hong Kong has 2 official languages, North Korea 1.
Hong Kong: 2 (2026) · North Korea: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Hong Kong: $427 billion (2025) · North Korea: no data
How much is produced per person?
Hong Kong: Int$80,423 (2025) · North Korea: no data
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 3.5% in North Korea, versus 2.8% in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong: 2.8% (2025) · North Korea: 3.5% (2025)
How expensive is it?
Hong Kong: 71% (2025) · North Korea: no data
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How long do people live?
People in Hong Kong live 12 years longer than in North Korea.
Hong Kong: 85.4 years (2024) · North Korea: 73.7 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
Hong Kong: no data · North Korea: 13.3 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Hong Kong: no data · North Korea: 3.6 per 1,000 (2017)
How common is obesity?
Hong Kong: no data · North Korea: 12.1% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
Hong Kong: no data · North Korea: 15.6% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
Hong Kong: 5.57 (2025) · North Korea: no data
How much do people drink?
Adults in Hong Kong drink 9% more alcohol than in North Korea.
Hong Kong: 2.9 litres (2023) · North Korea: 2.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Hong Kong has 7.8 times as much meat per person as North Korea.
Hong Kong: 107.4 kg (2023) · North Korea: 13.8 kg (2018)
How much food is there per day?
Hong Kong has 847 kcal more food per person per day than North Korea.
Hong Kong: 2,828 kcal (2023) · North Korea: 1,981 kcal (2018)
How long do people work?
Hong Kong: 2,240 hours (2023) · North Korea: no data
How long do people go to school?
Hong Kong: 12.4 years (2023) · North Korea: no data
How many tourists visit?
Hong Kong: 2.92 (2024) · North Korea: no data
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
Hong Kong: 96% (2024) · North Korea: no data
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in Hong Kong have electricity, versus 61% in North Korea.
Hong Kong: 100% (2024) · North Korea: 61.4% (2024)
How many live in cities?
100% of people in Hong Kong live in cities, versus 64% in North Korea.
Hong Kong: 100% (2025) · North Korea: 64% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Hong Kong has 365 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, North Korea 24.
Hong Kong: 365 (2024) · North Korea: 24 (2022)
How much railway is there?
North Korea’s railway network is 32 times as long as Hong Kong’s.
Hong Kong: 230 km (2021) · North Korea: 7,435 km (2014)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Hong Kong fly 24,683 times as many passengers per resident as those from North Korea.
Hong Kong: 3.43 (2023) · North Korea: 0 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Hong Kong: no data · North Korea: 49.6% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Hong Kong emits 90% more CO₂ than someone in North Korea.
Hong Kong: 4.5 t (2024) · North Korea: 2.4 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
63% of North Korea’s electricity is renewable, versus 1.0% in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong: 1% (2024) · North Korea: 63.4% (2024)
How clean is the air?
The air in North Korea carries 34% more fine dust than in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong: 15.8 µg/m³ (2024) · North Korea: 21.2 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
Hong Kong: 0.4 per 100k (2023) · North Korea: no data
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Hong Kong is on average 15.7 °C warmer than North Korea.
Hong Kong: 23.6°C (2016–2025 avg) · North Korea: 7.9°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Hong Kong gets 61% more rain than North Korea.
Hong Kong: 1,890 mm (2016–2025 avg) · North Korea: 1,172 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Hong Kong bigger than North Korea?
North Korea is larger. Hong Kong fits inside North Korea 109 times.
Which has more people, Hong Kong or North Korea?
North Korea has 3.5 times as many people as Hong Kong (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Hong Kong or North Korea?
People in Hong Kong live 12 years longer than in North Korea. Life expectancy at birth is 85.4 years in Hong Kong and 73.7 in North Korea.
Are people taller in Hong Kong or North Korea?
Hong Kong and North Korea are practically level (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
