Fertility rate, total in North Korea
North Korea: Fertility rate, total was 1.78 births per woman in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
1.78 births per woman
Change on year
down 0.9%
World rank
121st
of 215 countries
All-time high
3.89 births per woman
in 1972
All-time low
1.78 births per woman
in 2023
Years of data
54
1970–2023
Fertility rate, total in North Korea, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in births per woman.
Analysis
North Korea recorded 1.78 births per woman for fertility rate, total in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 54 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.9% on the previous year and down 5.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility rate, total in North Korea peaked at 3.89 births per woman in 1972 and was at its lowest, 1.78 births per woman, in 2023.
That places North Korea 121st out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 54 years of available data.
Fertility rate, total in North Korea, year by year
| Year | births per woman | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 3.85 births per woman | — |
| 1971 | 3.74 births per woman | -2.8% |
| 1972 | 3.89 births per woman | +4.0% |
| 1973 | 3.35 births per woman | -13.8% |
| 1974 | 3.14 births per woman | -6.3% |
| 1975 | 3.05 births per woman | -3.0% |
| 1976 | 2.84 births per woman | -6.9% |
| 1977 | 2.77 births per woman | -2.3% |
| 1978 | 2.79 births per woman | +0.8% |
| 1979 | 2.85 births per woman | +2.0% |
| 1980 | 2.84 births per woman | -0.3% |
| 1981 | 2.92 births per woman | +2.8% |
| 1982 | 2.85 births per woman | -2.3% |
| 1983 | 2.78 births per woman | -2.7% |
| 1984 | 2.71 births per woman | -2.5% |
| 1985 | 2.65 births per woman | -2.3% |
| 1986 | 2.59 births per woman | -2.0% |
| 1987 | 2.53 births per woman | -2.5% |
| 1988 | 2.47 births per woman | -2.4% |
| 1989 | 2.41 births per woman | -2.3% |
| 1990 | 2.39 births per woman | -1.0% |
| 1991 | 2.35 births per woman | -1.5% |
| 1992 | 2.29 births per woman | -2.7% |
| 1993 | 2.22 births per woman | -3.0% |
| 1994 | 2.18 births per woman | -1.6% |
| 1995 | 2.15 births per woman | -1.7% |
| 1996 | 2.09 births per woman | -2.5% |
| 1997 | 2.03 births per woman | -3.2% |
| 1998 | 1.99 births per woman | -1.8% |
| 1999 | 1.97 births per woman | -1.3% |
| 2000 | 1.94 births per woman | -1.3% |
| 2001 | 1.94 births per woman | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 1.92 births per woman | -1.1% |
| 2003 | 1.91 births per woman | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 1.9 births per woman | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 1.87 births per woman | -1.4% |
| 2006 | 1.94 births per woman | +3.4% |
| 2007 | 1.94 births per woman | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 1.97 births per woman | +1.4% |
| 2009 | 1.91 births per woman | -3.3% |
| 2010 | 1.89 births per woman | -0.8% |
| 2011 | 1.88 births per woman | -0.4% |
| 2012 | 1.88 births per woman | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 1.88 births per woman | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 1.87 births per woman | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 1.86 births per woman | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 1.86 births per woman | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 1.85 births per woman | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 1.83 births per woman | -0.8% |
| 2019 | 1.82 births per woman | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 1.82 births per woman | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 1.81 births per woman | -0.8% |
| 2022 | 1.8 births per woman | -0.5% |
| 2023 | 1.78 births per woman | -0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 3.23 births per woman | 2.77 births per woman | 3.89 births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.67 births per woman | 2.41 births per woman | 2.92 births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.17 births per woman | 1.97 births per woman | 2.39 births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.92 births per woman | 1.87 births per woman | 1.97 births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.86 births per woman | 1.82 births per woman | 1.89 births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.8 births per woman | 1.78 births per woman | 1.82 births per woman | 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)
- World population growth -0.7% (2100)
- Population density 162.05 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 794,407 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate, total in North Korea?
- Fertility rate, total in North Korea was 1.78 births per woman in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest fertility rate, total recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 3.89 births per woman in 1972.
- What is the lowest fertility rate, total recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.78 births per woman in 2023.
- How does North Korea rank for fertility rate, total?
- North Korea ranks 121st out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertility rate, total rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this North Korea data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Fertility rate, total (births per woman). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release