North Korea vs United Kingdom: Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas
North Korea
58.9%
in 2020
United Kingdom
57.4%
in 2020
North Korea rank
37th
United Kingdom rank
38th
Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas over time
- North Korea
- United Kingdom
How they compare
North Korea currently reports 58.9% against 57.4% in United Kingdom, a difference of 1.5%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 15 shared years of data; in 1950 it was United Kingdom ahead.
North Korea ranks 37th and United Kingdom ranks 38th of 236 countries.
Across the 8 decades both report, North Korea averaged higher in 6 and United Kingdom in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | North Korea | United Kingdom | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 34.5% | 55.6% | 21.1% | United Kingdom |
| 1960s | 42.8% | 55.7% | 12.9% | United Kingdom |
| 1970s | 57.7% | 53.6% | 4.1% | North Korea |
| 1980s | 60.9% | 52.5% | 8.4% | North Korea |
| 1990s | 60.8% | 52.9% | 8.0% | North Korea |
| 2000s | 62.4% | 53.9% | 8.5% | North Korea |
| 2010s | 61.6% | 55.9% | 5.7% | North Korea |
| 2020s | 58.9% | 57.4% | 1.6% | North Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas, North Korea or United Kingdom?
- North Korea, at 58.9% against 57.4% in United Kingdom as of 2020.
- What is the difference in share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas between North Korea and United Kingdom?
- 1.5%, with North Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for North Korea and United Kingdom?
- 15 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2020.
- How do North Korea and United Kingdom rank globally for share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas?
- North Korea ranks 37th and United Kingdom ranks 38th of 236 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Estimated share of the population living in cities. Cities are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.