North Korea vs Syria: Total population (thousands)
North Korea
26,537 thousands
in 2025
Syria
25,171 thousands
in 2025
North Korea rank
56th
Syria rank
57th
Total population (thousands) over time
- North Korea
- Syria
How they compare
North Korea currently reports 26,537 thousands against 25,171 thousands in Syria, a difference of 1,366 thousands.
That makes North Korea's figure about 1.1 times Syria's.
Across all 56 years both countries report, North Korea has been ahead every year.
North Korea ranks 56th and Syria ranks 57th of 233 countries.
North Korea has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | North Korea | Syria | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 16,560 thousands | 7,340 thousands | 9,220 thousands | North Korea |
| 1980s | 19,352 thousands | 10,315 thousands | 9,038 thousands | North Korea |
| 1990s | 22,293 thousands | 14,202 thousands | 8,090 thousands | North Korea |
| 2000s | 24,231 thousands | 18,743 thousands | 5,487 thousands | North Korea |
| 2010s | 25,456 thousands | 20,858 thousands | 4,598 thousands | North Korea |
| 2020s | 26,321 thousands | 22,728 thousands | 3,593 thousands | North Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher total population, North Korea or Syria?
- North Korea, at 26,537 thousands against 25,171 thousands in Syria as of 2025.
- What is the difference in total population between North Korea and Syria?
- 1,366 thousands, with North Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for North Korea and Syria?
- 56 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do North Korea and Syria rank globally for total population?
- North Korea ranks 56th and Syria ranks 57th of 233 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Total population (thousands). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release