Share of population living in cities towns and villages in North Korea

North Korea: Share of population living in cities towns and villages was 58.92 in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
58.92
World rank
37th
of 236 countries
All-time high
62.53
in 2000
All-time low
33.63
in 1955
Years of data
15
1950–2020

Share of population living in cities towns and villages in North Korea, 1950–2020

02040601950198520201950: 35.31955: 33.61960: 39.71965: 45.81970: 54.11975: 61.21980: 61.61985: 60.21990: 60.11995: 61.62000: 62.52005: 62.32010: 622015: 61.22020: 58.9

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2020, share of population living in cities towns and villages in North Korea stood at 58.92.

That represents a change of down 5.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of population living in cities towns and villages in North Korea peaked at 62.53 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 33.63, in 1955.

North Korea ranks 37th of 236 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.

Share of population living in cities towns and villages in North Korea, year by year

Annual values for Share of population living in cities towns and villages in North Korea, 1950 to 2020.
Year Value Change
1950 35.35 —
1955 33.63 -4.9%
1960 39.73 +18.1%
1965 45.84 +15.4%
1970 54.13 +18.1%
1975 61.18 +13.0%
1980 61.63 +0.7%
1985 60.21 -2.3%
1990 60.05 -0.3%
1995 61.63 +2.6%
2000 62.53 +1.5%
2005 62.31 -0.4%
2010 62.03 -0.5%
2015 61.23 -1.3%
2020 58.92 -3.8%

North Korea compared with similar countries

  • North Korea's 58.92 is above the median for low income countries, which is 31.77, 1.9× the median. (25 countries reporting)
  • North Korea's 58.92 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 30.69, 1.9× the median. (37 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 34.49 33.63 35.35 2
1960s 42.78 39.73 45.84 2
1970s 57.66 54.13 61.18 2
1980s 60.92 60.21 61.63 2
1990s 60.84 60.05 61.63 2
2000s 62.42 62.31 62.53 2
2010s 61.63 61.23 62.03 2
2020s 58.92 58.92 58.92 1

Countries ranked near North Korea

  1. 34 Dominican Republic 61.1 compare
  2. 35 Iran 60.55 compare
  3. 36 Curacao 59.62 compare
  4. 38 United Kingdom 57.36 compare
  5. 39 Peru 55.98 compare
  6. 40 Malaysia 55.03 compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More population data for North Korea

All data for North Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of population living in cities towns and villages in North Korea?
Share of population living in cities towns and villages in North Korea was 58.92 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of population living in cities towns and villages recorded in North Korea?
The highest recorded value was 62.53 in 2000.
What is the lowest share of population living in cities towns and villages recorded in North Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 33.63 in 1955.
How does North Korea rank for share of population living in cities towns and villages?
North Korea ranks 37th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
Is share of population living in cities towns and villages rising or falling in North Korea?
Over the last ten years it is down 5.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this North Korea data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in cities towns and villages. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of population living in cities towns and villages in North Korea. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 12 November 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-population-living-in-cities-towns-and-villages/korea-dem-people-s-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of population living in cities towns and villages
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 3,540 data points, 1950–2020
Last refreshed