North Korea vs South Africa: Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita
North Korea
64.2%
in 2025
South Africa
63.8%
in 2025
North Korea rank
123rd
South Africa rank
125th
Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita over time
- North Korea
- South Africa
How they compare
North Korea currently reports 64.2% against 63.8% in South Africa, a difference of 0.4%.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 76 shared years of data; in 1950 it was South Africa ahead.
North Korea ranks 123rd and South Africa ranks 125th of 236 countries.
Across the 8 decades both report, North Korea averaged higher in 4 and South Africa in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | North Korea | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 21.0% | 44.5% | 23.5% | South Africa |
| 1960s | 47.0% | 47.3% | 0.3% | South Africa |
| 1970s | 56.1% | 48.0% | 8.1% | North Korea |
| 1980s | 57.5% | 49.4% | 8.1% | North Korea |
| 1990s | 59.0% | 53.4% | 5.6% | North Korea |
| 2000s | 59.7% | 59.4% | 0.3% | North Korea |
| 2010s | 61.3% | 63.1% | 1.9% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 63.4% | 63.6% | 0.2% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita, North Korea or South Africa?
- North Korea, at 64.2% against 63.8% in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita between North Korea and South Africa?
- 0.4%, with North Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for North Korea and South Africa?
- 76 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2025.
- How do North Korea and South Africa rank globally for share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita?
- North Korea ranks 123rd and South Africa ranks 125th of 236 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Share of the population living in urban areas, based on each country's national definition.