Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
North Korea fits inside Russia 142 times
North Korea: 120,540 km² (2024) · Russia: 17,125,200 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Russia’s coastline is 15 times as long as North Korea’s
North Korea: 2,495 km (2026 edition) · Russia: 37,653 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Russia’s highest peak towers 2,898 m above North Korea’s
North Korea: 2,744 m (2026 edition) · Russia: 5,642 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 22% of North Korea, versus 13% of Russia
North Korea: 21.6% (2024) · Russia: 13.2% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Russia has 5.4 times as many people as North Korea
North Korea: 26.6 million (2025) · Russia: 144 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
North Korea is 25 times as densely populated as Russia
North Korea: 221 per km² (2025) · Russia: 9 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Russia are 2.0 cm taller than in North Korea
North Korea: 174.7 cm (2019) · Russia: 176.7 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Russia are 3.3 cm taller than in North Korea
North Korea: 161.2 cm (2019) · Russia: 164.5 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Russia is 3.4 years older than in North Korea
North Korea: 36 years (2023) · Russia: 39.5 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in North Korea have 0.4 more children on average than in Russia
North Korea: 1.78 children per woman (2024) · Russia: 1.42 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
18% of people in Russia are 65 or older, versus 13% in North Korea
North Korea: 12.7% (2025) · Russia: 17.8% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
North Korea: no data · Russia: 0.1 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Russia has produced 2.0 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, North Korea none
North Korea: 0 (2026) · Russia: 2 (2026)
How many official languages?
North Korea and Russia are practically level
North Korea: 1 (2026) · Russia: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
North Korea: no data · Russia: $2.56 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
North Korea: no data · Russia: Int$49,568 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
North Korea: no data · Russia: 33 (2023)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
North Korea: no data · Russia: 0.1% (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 3.5% in North Korea, versus 2.1% in Russia
North Korea: 3.5% (2025) · Russia: 2.1% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
North Korea: no data · Russia: 7.5% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
North Korea: no data · Russia: 10.9% (2024)
How expensive is it?
North Korea: no data · Russia: 35% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
North Korea: no data · Russia: $1,003 (2023)
How long do people live?
North Korea and Russia are practically level
North Korea: 73.7 years (2024) · Russia: 73.4 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in North Korea is 3.2 times as likely to die before turning one as in Russia
North Korea: 13.3 per 1,000 (2024) · Russia: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Russia has 41% more doctors per person than North Korea
North Korea: 3.6 per 1,000 (2017) · Russia: 5.1 per 1,000 (2022)
How many hospital beds are there?
North Korea has 88% more hospital beds per person than Russia
North Korea: 12.8 per 1,000 (2018) · Russia: 6.8 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Russia is 87% higher than in North Korea
North Korea: 10.6 per 100k (2023) · Russia: 19.8 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
21% of adults in Russia are obese, versus 12% in North Korea
North Korea: 12.1% (2024) · Russia: 21.2% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
27% of adults in Russia smoke, versus 16% in North Korea
North Korea: 15.6% (2024) · Russia: 27% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
North Korea: no data · Russia: 5.83 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Russia drink 4 times as much alcohol as in North Korea
North Korea: 2.6 litres (2023) · Russia: 10.4 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Russia has 6.1 times as much meat per person as North Korea
North Korea: 13.8 kg (2018) · Russia: 84.8 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Russia has 1,547 kcal more food per person per day than North Korea
North Korea: 1,981 kcal (2018) · Russia: 3,528 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
North Korea: no data · Russia: 2,087 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
North Korea: no data · Russia: 12.4 years (2023)
How many World Heritage sites?
Russia has 30 more World Heritage sites than North Korea (33 against 3)
North Korea: 3 (2026) · Russia: 33 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Russia has won 539 Olympic medals, North Korea 63
North Korea: 63 (2026 edition) · Russia: 539 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
North Korea: no data · Russia: 94% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in Russia have electricity, versus 61% in North Korea
North Korea: 61.4% (2024) · Russia: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
75% of people in Russia live in cities, versus 64% in North Korea
North Korea: 64% (2025) · Russia: 75% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Russia has 186 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, North Korea 24
North Korea: 24 (2022) · Russia: 186 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Russia’s railway network is 12 times as long as North Korea’s
North Korea: 7,435 km (2014) · Russia: 85,544 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Russia fly 4,961 times as many passengers per resident as those from North Korea
North Korea: 0.00014 (2023) · Russia: 0.69 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 64% of North Korea, but only 51% of Russia
North Korea: 64.1% (2024) · Russia: 50.8% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Russia emits 5.2 times as much CO₂ as someone in North Korea
North Korea: 2.4 t (2024) · Russia: 12.3 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
63% of North Korea’s electricity is renewable, versus 17% in Russia
North Korea: 63.4% (2024) · Russia: 17.4% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in North Korea carries 64% more fine dust than in Russia
North Korea: 21.2 µg/m³ (2024) · Russia: 12.9 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
North Korea: no data · Russia: 7.8 per 100k (2024)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in North Korea are 5.8 times as deadly as in Russia
North Korea: 77.3 per 100k (2023) · Russia: 13.4 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
North Korea is on average 10.5 °C warmer than Russia
North Korea: 7.9°C (2016–2025 avg) · Russia: -2.6°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
North Korea gets 2 times as much rain as Russia
North Korea: 1,172 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Russia: 586 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is North Korea bigger than Russia?
Russia is larger. North Korea fits inside Russia 142 times.
Which has more people, North Korea or Russia?
Russia has 5.4 times as many people as North Korea (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, North Korea or Russia?
North Korea and Russia are practically level. Life expectancy at birth is 73.7 years in North Korea and 73.4 in Russia.
Are people taller in North Korea or Russia?
Men in Russia are 2.0 cm taller than in North Korea (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
