Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
North Korea is 20% bigger than South Korea.
North Korea: 120,540 km² (2023) · South Korea: 100,450 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
North Korea’s coastline is 3% longer than South Korea’s.
North Korea: 2,495 km (2026 edition) · South Korea: 2,413 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
North Korea’s highest peak towers 794 m above South Korea’s.
North Korea: 2,744 m (2026 edition) · South Korea: 1,950 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
South Korea has 95% more people than North Korea.
North Korea: 26.6 million (2025) · South Korea: 51.7 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
South Korea is 2.4 times as densely populated as North Korea.
North Korea: 221 per km² (2025) · South Korea: 530 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
South Korea and North Korea are practically level.
North Korea: 174.7 cm (2019) · South Korea: 175.5 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in South Korea are 2.0 cm taller than in North Korea.
North Korea: 161.2 cm (2019) · South Korea: 163.2 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in South Korea is 8.4 years older than in North Korea.
North Korea: 36 years (2023) · South Korea: 44.5 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in North Korea have 1.0 more children on average than in South Korea.
North Korea: 1.78 children per woman (2024) · South Korea: 0.75 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
20% of people in South Korea are 65 or older, versus 13% in North Korea.
North Korea: 12.7% (2025) · South Korea: 20.3% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
South Korea has produced 0.6 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, North Korea 0.0.
North Korea: 0 (2025) · South Korea: 0.6 (2025)
How many official languages?
North Korea and South Korea are practically level.
North Korea: 1 (2026) · South Korea: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
North Korea: no data · South Korea: $1.87 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
North Korea: no data · South Korea: Int$63,125 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
North Korea: no data · South Korea: 32.9 (2021)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 3.5% in North Korea, versus 2.7% in South Korea.
North Korea: 3.5% (2025) · South Korea: 2.7% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
North Korea: no data · South Korea: 2.6% (2024)
How expensive is it?
North Korea: no data · South Korea: 57% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
North Korea: no data · South Korea: $3,137 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in South Korea live 9.9 years longer than in North Korea.
North Korea: 73.7 years (2024) · South Korea: 83.6 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in North Korea is 5.8 times as likely to die before turning one as in South Korea.
North Korea: 13.3 per 1,000 (2024) · South Korea: 2.3 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
North Korea has 39% more doctors per person than South Korea.
North Korea: 3.6 per 1,000 (2017) · South Korea: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
12% of adults in North Korea are obese, versus 7.5% in South Korea.
North Korea: 12.1% (2024) · South Korea: 7.5% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
19% of adults in South Korea smoke, versus 16% in North Korea.
North Korea: 15.6% (2024) · South Korea: 18.6% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
North Korea: no data · South Korea: 6.04 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in South Korea drink 3.1 times as much alcohol as in North Korea.
North Korea: 2.6 litres (2023) · South Korea: 8.3 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
South Korea has 6.1 times as much meat per person as North Korea.
North Korea: 13.8 kg (2018) · South Korea: 84 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
South Korea has 1,449 kcal more food per person per day than North Korea.
North Korea: 1,981 kcal (2018) · South Korea: 3,430 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
North Korea: no data · South Korea: 1,910 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
North Korea: no data · South Korea: 12.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
North Korea: no data · South Korea: 0.32 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
North Korea: no data · South Korea: 98% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in South Korea have electricity, versus 61% in North Korea.
North Korea: 61.4% (2024) · South Korea: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
81% of people in South Korea live in cities, versus 64% in North Korea.
North Korea: 64% (2025) · South Korea: 81% (2025)
How many phones per person?
South Korea has 173 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, North Korea 24.
North Korea: 24 (2022) · South Korea: 173 (2024)
How much railway is there?
North Korea’s railway network is 73% longer than South Korea’s.
North Korea: 7,435 km (2014) · South Korea: 4,309 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from South Korea fly 10,626 times as many passengers per resident as those from North Korea.
North Korea: 0 (2023) · South Korea: 1.48 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 64% of South Korea, but only 50% of North Korea.
North Korea: 49.6% (2023) · South Korea: 64.1% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in South Korea emits 4.8 times as much CO₂ as someone in North Korea.
North Korea: 2.4 t (2024) · South Korea: 11.3 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
63% of North Korea’s electricity is renewable, versus 10% in South Korea.
North Korea: 63.4% (2024) · South Korea: 10.4% (2025)
How clean is the air?
North Korea and South Korea are nearly identical here.
North Korea: 21.2 µg/m³ (2024) · South Korea: 21 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
North Korea: no data · South Korea: 0.5 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
North Korea: no data · South Korea: 6.9 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
South Korea is on average 5.2 °C warmer than North Korea.
North Korea: 7.9°C (2016–2025 avg) · South Korea: 13.2°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
South Korea gets 8% more rain than North Korea.
North Korea: 1,172 mm (2016–2025 avg) · South Korea: 1,265 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is North Korea bigger than South Korea?
North Korea is larger. North Korea is 20% bigger than South Korea.
Which has more people, North Korea or South Korea?
South Korea has 95% more people than North Korea (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, North Korea or South Korea?
People in South Korea live 9.9 years longer than in North Korea. Life expectancy at birth is 73.7 years in North Korea and 83.6 in South Korea.
Are people taller in North Korea or South Korea?
South Korea and North Korea are practically level (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
