Annual population growth in North Korea
North Korea: Annual population growth was 89,353 in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
89,353
Change on year
down 7.2%
World rank
90th
of 236 countries
All-time high
407,251
in 1968
All-time low
-533,158
in 1951
Years of data
73
1951–2023
Annual population growth in North Korea, 1951–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2023, annual population growth in North Korea stood at 89,353.
That represents a change of down 7.2% on the previous year and down 24.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual population growth in North Korea peaked at 407,251 in 1968 and was at its lowest, -533,158, in 1951.
That places North Korea 90th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Annual population growth in North Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | -533,158 | — |
| 1952 | -329,937 | -38.1% |
| 1953 | -76,221 | -76.9% |
| 1954 | 65,388 | -185.8% |
| 1955 | 160,520 | +145.5% |
| 1956 | 197,060 | +22.8% |
| 1957 | 254,297 | +29.0% |
| 1958 | 309,068 | +21.5% |
| 1959 | 289,241 | -6.4% |
| 1960 | 269,958 | -6.7% |
| 1961 | 267,764 | -0.8% |
| 1962 | 272,172 | +1.6% |
| 1963 | 304,173 | +11.8% |
| 1964 | 322,715 | +6.1% |
| 1965 | 329,601 | +2.1% |
| 1966 | 349,724 | +6.1% |
| 1967 | 389,251 | +11.3% |
| 1968 | 407,251 | +4.6% |
| 1969 | 402,024 | -1.3% |
| 1970 | 405,152 | +0.8% |
| 1971 | 399,683 | -1.3% |
| 1972 | 402,605 | +0.7% |
| 1973 | 375,307 | -6.8% |
| 1974 | 322,752 | -14.0% |
| 1975 | 297,931 | -7.7% |
| 1976 | 272,400 | -8.6% |
| 1977 | 249,342 | -8.5% |
| 1978 | 243,203 | -2.5% |
| 1979 | 247,465 | +1.8% |
| 1980 | 253,318 | +2.4% |
| 1981 | 264,520 | +4.4% |
| 1982 | 275,056 | +4.0% |
| 1983 | 277,680 | +1.0% |
| 1984 | 281,010 | +1.2% |
| 1985 | 285,347 | +1.5% |
| 1986 | 290,460 | +1.8% |
| 1987 | 294,629 | +1.4% |
| 1988 | 297,676 | +1.0% |
| 1989 | 301,202 | +1.2% |
| 1990 | 307,771 | +2.2% |
| 1991 | 316,503 | +2.8% |
| 1992 | 322,275 | +1.8% |
| 1993 | 322,442 | +0.1% |
| 1994 | 320,613 | -0.6% |
| 1995 | 275,340 | -14.1% |
| 1996 | 226,446 | -17.8% |
| 1997 | 215,083 | -5.0% |
| 1998 | 200,734 | -6.7% |
| 1999 | 186,024 | -7.3% |
| 2000 | 168,315 | -9.5% |
| 2001 | 149,455 | -11.2% |
| 2002 | 128,611 | -13.9% |
| 2003 | 146,407 | +13.8% |
| 2004 | 164,564 | +12.4% |
| 2005 | 141,488 | -14.0% |
| 2006 | 128,074 | -9.5% |
| 2007 | 121,876 | -4.8% |
| 2008 | 118,236 | -3.0% |
| 2009 | 113,718 | -3.8% |
| 2010 | 108,919 | -4.2% |
| 2011 | 110,620 | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 113,860 | +2.9% |
| 2013 | 117,719 | +3.4% |
| 2014 | 121,807 | +3.5% |
| 2015 | 124,092 | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 122,970 | -0.9% |
| 2017 | 119,385 | -2.9% |
| 2018 | 113,443 | -5.0% |
| 2019 | 106,480 | -6.1% |
| 2020 | 98,679 | -7.3% |
| 2021 | 96,218 | -2.5% |
| 2022 | 96,313 | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 89,353 | -7.2% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 89,353 is below the median for low income countries, which is 556,727, 16% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 89,353 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3,585, 24.9× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Annual population growth in North Korea changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | +185.8% | -76,221 | 65,388 |
| 1955 | +145.5% | 65,388 | 160,520 |
| 1953 | +76.9% | -329,937 | -76,221 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 37,362 | -533,158 | 309,068 | 9 |
| 1960s | 331,463 | 267,764 | 407,251 | 10 |
| 1970s | 321,584 | 243,203 | 405,152 | 10 |
| 1980s | 282,090 | 253,318 | 301,202 | 10 |
| 1990s | 269,323 | 186,024 | 322,442 | 10 |
| 2000s | 138,074 | 113,718 | 168,315 | 10 |
| 2010s | 115,930 | 106,480 | 124,092 | 10 |
| 2020s | 95,141 | 89,353 | 98,679 | 4 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
More population data for North Korea
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.6538 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -2.81 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.6538 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.5276 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 25,807 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.1188 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.7483 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.656 (2100)
- Population density 162.05 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 794,407 (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual population growth in North Korea?
- Annual population growth in North Korea was 89,353 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual population growth recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 407,251 in 1968.
- What is the lowest annual population growth recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was -533,158 in 1951.
- How does North Korea rank for annual population growth?
- North Korea ranks 90th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is annual population growth rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 24.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this North Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Annual population growth. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 73 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).