Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Singapore fits inside North Korea 164 times
North Korea: 120,540 km² (2024) · Singapore: 736 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
North Korea’s coastline is 13 times as long as Singapore’s
North Korea: 2,495 km (2026 edition) · Singapore: 193 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
North Korea’s highest peak towers 2,578 m above Singapore’s
North Korea: 2,744 m (2026 edition) · Singapore: 166 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 22% of North Korea, versus 0.9% of Singapore
North Korea: 21.6% (2024) · Singapore: 0.9% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
North Korea has 4.3 times as many people as Singapore
North Korea: 26.6 million (2025) · Singapore: 6.11 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Singapore is 38 times as densely populated as North Korea
North Korea: 221 per km² (2025) · Singapore: 8,432 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in North Korea are 1.2 cm taller than in Singapore
North Korea: 174.7 cm (2019) · Singapore: 173.5 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Singapore and North Korea are practically level
North Korea: 161.2 cm (2019) · Singapore: 161.3 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in North Korea is 0.95 years older than in Singapore
North Korea: 36 years (2023) · Singapore: 35.1 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in North Korea have 0.8 more children on average than in Singapore
North Korea: 1.78 children per woman (2024) · Singapore: 0.97 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
14% of people in Singapore are 65 or older, versus 13% in North Korea
North Korea: 12.7% (2025) · Singapore: 14.2% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
North Korea: no data · Singapore: 0 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
North Korea and Singapore are practically level
North Korea: 0 (2026) · Singapore: 0 (2026)
How many official languages?
Singapore has 4 official languages, North Korea 1
North Korea: 1 (2026) · Singapore: 4 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
North Korea: no data · Singapore: $604 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
North Korea: no data · Singapore: Int$163,354 (2025)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 3.5% in North Korea, versus 2.8% in Singapore
North Korea: 3.5% (2025) · Singapore: 2.8% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
North Korea: no data · Singapore: 3% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
North Korea: no data · Singapore: 13.6% (2024)
How expensive is it?
North Korea: no data · Singapore: 60% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
North Korea: no data · Singapore: $3,922 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Singapore live 9.6 years longer than in North Korea
North Korea: 73.7 years (2024) · Singapore: 83.3 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in North Korea is 6 times as likely to die before turning one as in Singapore
North Korea: 13.3 per 1,000 (2024) · Singapore: 2.2 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
North Korea has 28% more doctors per person than Singapore
North Korea: 3.6 per 1,000 (2017) · Singapore: 2.8 per 1,000 (2022)
How many hospital beds are there?
North Korea has 4.6 times as many hospital beds per person as Singapore
North Korea: 12.8 per 1,000 (2018) · Singapore: 2.8 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in North Korea is 45% higher than in Singapore
North Korea: 10.6 per 100k (2023) · Singapore: 7.3 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
17% of adults in Singapore are obese, versus 12% in North Korea
North Korea: 12.1% (2024) · Singapore: 16.8% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
16% of adults in North Korea smoke, versus 14% in Singapore
North Korea: 15.6% (2024) · Singapore: 13.8% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
North Korea: no data · Singapore: 6.59 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in North Korea drink 21% more alcohol than in Singapore
North Korea: 2.6 litres (2023) · Singapore: 2.2 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
North Korea: 13.8 kg (2018) · Singapore: no data
How much food is there per day?
North Korea: 1,981 kcal (2018) · Singapore: no data
How long do people work?
North Korea: no data · Singapore: 2,283 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
North Korea: no data · Singapore: 12 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
North Korea: no data · Singapore: 2.16 (2024)
How many World Heritage sites?
North Korea has 2 more World Heritage sites than Singapore (3 against 1)
North Korea: 3 (2026) · Singapore: 1 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
North Korea has won 63 Olympic medals, Singapore 6
North Korea: 63 (2026 edition) · Singapore: 6 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
North Korea: no data · Singapore: 94% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
North Korea: no data · Singapore: 702 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in Singapore have electricity, versus 61% in North Korea
North Korea: 61.4% (2024) · Singapore: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
100% of people in Singapore live in cities, versus 64% in North Korea
North Korea: 64% (2025) · Singapore: 100% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Singapore has 171 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, North Korea 24
North Korea: 24 (2022) · Singapore: 171 (2024)
How much railway is there?
North Korea: 7,435 km (2014) · Singapore: no data
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Singapore fly 55,973 times as many passengers per resident as those from North Korea
North Korea: 0.00014 (2023) · Singapore: 7.77 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 64% of North Korea, but only 22% of Singapore
North Korea: 64.1% (2024) · Singapore: 21.8% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Singapore emits 3.9 times as much CO₂ as someone in North Korea
North Korea: 2.4 t (2024) · Singapore: 9.2 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
63% of North Korea’s electricity is renewable, versus 5.5% in Singapore
North Korea: 63.4% (2024) · Singapore: 5.5% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in North Korea carries 74% more fine dust than in Singapore
North Korea: 21.2 µg/m³ (2024) · Singapore: 12.2 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
North Korea: no data · Singapore: 0.1 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in North Korea are 34 times as deadly as in Singapore
North Korea: 77.3 per 100k (2023) · Singapore: 2.3 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
North Korea: 7.9°C (2016–2025 avg) · Singapore: no data
How much rain falls?
North Korea: 1,172 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Singapore: no data
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is North Korea bigger than Singapore?
North Korea is larger. Singapore fits inside North Korea 164 times.
Which has more people, North Korea or Singapore?
North Korea has 4.3 times as many people as Singapore (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, North Korea or Singapore?
People in Singapore live 9.6 years longer than in North Korea. Life expectancy at birth is 73.7 years in North Korea and 83.3 in Singapore.
Are people taller in North Korea or Singapore?
Men in North Korea are 1.2 cm taller than in Singapore (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
