Share of population living in rural areas in Korea, Democratic People's Republic of

Korea, Democratic People's Republic of: Share of population living in rural areas was 13.4% in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
13.4%
World rank
193rd
of 236 countries
All-time high
17.9%
in 1955
All-time low
12.1%
in 1975
Years of data
15
1950–2020

Share of population living in rural areas in Korea, Democratic People's Republic of, 1950–2020

051015201950198520201950: 16.5 %1955: 17.9 %1960: 16.3 %1965: 14.8 %1970: 13.3 %1975: 12.1 %1980: 12.5 %1985: 13.2 %1990: 13.3 %1995: 13.1 %2000: 13 %2005: 12.9 %2010: 12.9 %2015: 13.2 %2020: 13.4 %

Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2020, share of population living in rural areas in Korea, Democratic People's Republic of stood at 13.4%.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Korea, Democratic People's Republic of peaked at 17.9% in 1955 and was at its lowest, 12.1%, in 1975.

Korea, Democratic People's Republic of ranks 193rd of 236 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

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

Share of population living in rural areas in Korea, Democratic People's Republic of, year by year

Annual values for Share of population living in rural areas in Korea, Democratic People's Republic of, 1950 to 2020.
Year % Change
1950 16.5%
1955 17.9% +8.2%
1960 16.3% -8.9%
1965 14.8% -9.0%
1970 13.3% -10.5%
1975 12.1% -8.7%
1980 12.5% +3.4%
1985 13.2% +5.2%
1990 13.3% +1.4%
1995 13.1% -1.7%
2000 13.0% -1.2%
2005 12.9% -0.3%
2010 12.9% -0.4%
2015 13.2% +2.4%
2020 13.4% +1.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 17.2% 16.5% 17.9% 2
1960s 15.5% 14.8% 16.3% 2
1970s 12.7% 12.1% 13.3% 2
1980s 12.8% 12.5% 13.2% 2
1990s 13.2% 13.1% 13.3% 2
2000s 12.9% 12.9% 13.0% 2
2010s 13.0% 12.9% 13.2% 2
2020s 13.4% 13.4% 13.4% 1

Countries ranked near Korea, Democratic People's Republic of

  1. 190 Uruguay 13.8% compare
  2. 191 Comoros 13.7% compare
  3. 192 Barbados 13.6% compare
  4. 194 Viet Nam 13.1% compare
  5. 195 Saint Barthelemy 12.8% compare
  6. 196 Trinidad and Tobago 12.6% compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More population data for Korea, Democratic People's Republic of

All data for Korea, Democratic People's Republic of →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of population living in rural areas in Korea, Democratic People's Republic of?
Share of population living in rural areas in Korea, Democratic People's Republic of was 13.4% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Korea, Democratic People's Republic of?
The highest recorded value was 17.9% in 1955.
What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Korea, Democratic People's Republic of?
The lowest recorded value was 12.1% in 1975.
How does Korea, Democratic People's Republic of rank for share of population living in rural areas?
Korea, Democratic People's Republic of ranks 193rd out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Korea, Democratic People's Republic of?
Over the last ten years it is up 4.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Korea, Democratic People's Republic of data come from?
The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of population living in rural areas in Korea, Democratic People's Republic of. Statizoid, drawing on European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 06 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-population-living-in-rural-areas/korea-dem-people-s-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of population living in rural areas
Unit
%
Source
European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 3,540 data points, 1950–2020
Last refreshed

Estimated share of the population living in rural areas. Rural areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.