Population in urban agglomerations … Population agglomerations in North Korea
North Korea: Population in urban agglomerations … Population agglomerations was 12.1% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in North Korea, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in North Korea is 12.1%, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 4.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in North Korea peaked at 12.3% in 1993 and was at its lowest, 5.5%, in 1960.
That places North Korea 105th out of 121 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Population in urban agglomerations … Population agglomerations in North Korea, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 5.5% | — |
| 1961 | 5.5% | +0.7% |
| 1962 | 5.6% | +1.4% |
| 1963 | 5.7% | +1.2% |
| 1964 | 5.8% | +1.1% |
| 1965 | 5.8% | +1.1% |
| 1966 | 5.9% | +1.0% |
| 1967 | 5.9% | +0.8% |
| 1968 | 6.1% | +2.3% |
| 1969 | 6.3% | +3.5% |
| 1970 | 6.5% | +3.6% |
| 1971 | 6.7% | +3.7% |
| 1972 | 7.0% | +3.8% |
| 1973 | 7.3% | +4.0% |
| 1974 | 7.6% | +4.4% |
| 1975 | 7.9% | +4.6% |
| 1976 | 8.3% | +4.8% |
| 1977 | 8.7% | +4.9% |
| 1978 | 9.2% | +5.0% |
| 1979 | 9.6% | +5.0% |
| 1980 | 10.1% | +5.0% |
| 1981 | 10.3% | +2.1% |
| 1982 | 10.5% | +2.1% |
| 1983 | 10.7% | +2.1% |
| 1984 | 11.0% | +2.1% |
| 1985 | 11.2% | +2.1% |
| 1986 | 11.4% | +2.1% |
| 1987 | 11.7% | +2.1% |
| 1988 | 11.8% | +0.9% |
| 1989 | 11.9% | +0.9% |
| 1990 | 12.0% | +0.9% |
| 1991 | 12.1% | +0.9% |
| 1992 | 12.2% | +0.9% |
| 1993 | 12.3% | +0.9% |
| 1994 | 12.3% | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 12.1% | -1.0% |
| 1996 | 12.0% | -0.8% |
| 1997 | 11.9% | -0.7% |
| 1998 | 11.9% | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 11.8% | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 11.7% | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 11.7% | -0.4% |
| 2002 | 11.6% | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 11.6% | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 11.5% | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 11.5% | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 11.5% | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 11.4% | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 11.4% | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 11.4% | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 11.4% | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 11.5% | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 11.5% | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 11.6% | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 11.6% | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 11.6% | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 11.6% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 11.7% | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 11.7% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 11.8% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 11.8% | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 11.8% | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 11.9% | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 12.0% | +0.5% |
| 2024 | 12.0% | +0.5% |
| 2025 | 12.1% | +0.5% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 12.1% is above the median for low income countries, which is 12.1%, 1.0× the median. (19 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 12.1% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 28.6%, 42% of the median. (16 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5.8% | 5.5% | 6.3% | 10 |
| 1970s | 7.9% | 6.5% | 9.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 11.1% | 10.1% | 11.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 12.0% | 11.8% | 12.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.5% | 11.4% | 11.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.6% | 11.4% | 11.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.9% | 11.8% | 12.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
More climate change data for North Korea
- Share co2 vs population 0.1917 (2100)
- Urban population 64.2% (2025)
- Co2 gdp pop growth, annual growth rate -10.68 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population, total, annual growth rate 0.2725 % change on previous year (2025)
- Urban population, annual growth rate 0.7919 % change on previous year (2025)
- Urban population 17.06 million (2025)
- Precipitation anomalies, annual growth rate 27.14 % change on previous year (2025)
- Urban population, per capita 0.6419 units per person (2025)
- Annual CO₂ emissions including land-use change, per capita 2.74 tonnes per person (2024)
- Share global cumulative co2 flaring 0 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in North Korea?
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in North Korea was 12.1% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 12.3% in 1993.
- What is the lowest population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.5% in 1960.
- How does North Korea rank for population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million?
- North Korea ranks 105th out of 121 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this North Korea data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as part of Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population in urban agglomerations of more than one million is the percentage of a country's population living in metropolitan areas that in 2018 had a population of more than one million people.