Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in North Korea
North Korea: Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre was 139.41 people per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
139.41 people per square kilometre
Change on year
up 0.8%
World rank
54th
of 215 countries
All-time high
139.41 people per square kilometre
in 2023
All-time low
42.14 people per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in North Korea, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in people per square kilometre.
Analysis
In 2023, number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in North Korea stood at 139.41 people per square kilometre. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.8% on the previous year and up 8.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in North Korea peaked at 139.41 people per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 42.14 people per square kilometre, in 1961.
That places North Korea 54th out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in North Korea, year by year
| Year | people per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 42.14 people per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 44.55 people per square kilometre | +5.7% |
| 1963 | 46.97 people per square kilometre | +5.4% |
| 1964 | 49.47 people per square kilometre | +5.3% |
| 1965 | 52.15 people per square kilometre | +5.4% |
| 1966 | 55.16 people per square kilometre | +5.8% |
| 1967 | 58.53 people per square kilometre | +6.1% |
| 1968 | 62 people per square kilometre | +5.9% |
| 1969 | 65.31 people per square kilometre | +5.3% |
| 1970 | 68.3 people per square kilometre | +4.6% |
| 1971 | 71.02 people per square kilometre | +4.0% |
| 1972 | 73.72 people per square kilometre | +3.8% |
| 1973 | 76.2 people per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 1974 | 78.25 people per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 1975 | 79.92 people per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1976 | 81.28 people per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1977 | 82.51 people per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1978 | 83.7 people per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1979 | 84.91 people per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1980 | 86.18 people per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1981 | 87.54 people per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 1982 | 89.01 people per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1983 | 90.53 people per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1984 | 92.11 people per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1985 | 93.74 people per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1986 | 95.42 people per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1987 | 97.14 people per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1988 | 98.89 people per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1989 | 100.66 people per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1990 | 102.46 people per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1991 | 104.29 people per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1992 | 106.12 people per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1993 | 107.93 people per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1994 | 109.69 people per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 1995 | 111.21 people per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1996 | 112.48 people per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1997 | 113.68 people per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1998 | 114.8 people per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 1999 | 115.84 people per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 116.79 people per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2001 | 117.64 people per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 118.4 people per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 119.25 people per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 120.21 people per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 121.06 people per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 121.87 people per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 122.66 people per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 123.47 people per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 124.29 people per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 125.15 people per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 126.07 people per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 127.05 people per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 128.08 people per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 129.13 people per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 130.25 people per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 131.4 people per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 132.55 people per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 133.7 people per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 134.84 people per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 135.96 people per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2021 | 137.09 people per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 138.25 people per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 139.41 people per square kilometre | +0.8% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 139.41 people per square kilometre is above the median for low income countries, which is 23.39 people per square kilometre, 6.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 139.41 people per square kilometre is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 81.73 people per square kilometre, 1.7× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 52.92 people per square kilometre | 42.14 people per square kilometre | 65.31 people per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 77.98 people per square kilometre | 68.3 people per square kilometre | 84.91 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 93.12 people per square kilometre | 86.18 people per square kilometre | 100.66 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 109.85 people per square kilometre | 102.46 people per square kilometre | 115.84 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 120.56 people per square kilometre | 116.79 people per square kilometre | 124.29 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 129.82 people per square kilometre | 125.15 people per square kilometre | 134.84 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 137.68 people per square kilometre | 135.96 people per square kilometre | 139.41 people per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
- 51 Comoros 151.48 people per square kilometre compare
- 52 British Virgin Islands 144.61 people per square kilometre compare
- 53 Italy 139.91 people per square kilometre compare
- 55 Nepal 137.84 people per square kilometre compare
- 56 Denmark 131.68 people per square kilometre compare
- 57 United Arab Emirates 128.37 people per square kilometre compare
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 number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in North Korea?
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in North Korea was 139.41 people per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 139.41 people per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 42.14 people per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does North Korea rank for number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre?
- North Korea ranks 54th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this North Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Number of people living in urban and rural areas divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Number of people living in urban and rural areas divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.