Population, total, per square kilometre in North Korea
North Korea: Population, total, per square kilometre was 219.4 units per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
219.4 units per square kilometre
Change on year
up 0.3%
World rank
63rd
of 216 countries
All-time high
219.4 units per square kilometre
in 2023
All-time low
99.58 units per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Population, total, per square kilometre in North Korea, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per square kilometre.
Analysis
North Korea recorded 219.4 units per square kilometre for population, total, per square kilometre in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.3% on the previous year and up 4.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population, total, per square kilometre in North Korea peaked at 219.4 units per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 99.58 units per square kilometre, in 1961.
That places North Korea 63rd out of 216 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Population, total, per square kilometre in North Korea, year by year
| Year | units per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 99.58 units per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 101.84 units per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 1963 | 104.37 units per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 1964 | 107.05 units per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 1965 | 109.79 units per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 1966 | 112.69 units per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 1967 | 115.92 units per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 1968 | 119.31 units per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 1969 | 122.64 units per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 1970 | 126.01 units per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 1971 | 129.33 units per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 1972 | 132.67 units per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 1973 | 135.79 units per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 1974 | 138.47 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1975 | 140.94 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1976 | 143.21 units per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 1977 | 145.28 units per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1978 | 147.3 units per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1979 | 149.35 units per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1980 | 151.46 units per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1981 | 153.65 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1982 | 155.94 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1983 | 158.24 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1984 | 160.58 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1985 | 162.95 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1986 | 165.36 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1987 | 167.81 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1988 | 170.28 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1989 | 172.78 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1990 | 175.34 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1991 | 177.96 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1992 | 180.64 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1993 | 183.32 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1994 | 185.98 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 188.27 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1996 | 190.15 units per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 1997 | 191.93 units per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 1998 | 193.6 units per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 1999 | 195.15 units per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 196.54 units per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 197.79 units per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 198.85 units per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 200.07 units per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 201.44 units per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 202.61 units per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 203.68 units per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 204.69 units per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 205.67 units per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 206.61 units per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 207.52 units per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 208.44 units per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 209.38 units per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 210.36 units per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 211.37 units per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 212.4 units per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 213.42 units per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 214.41 units per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 215.36 units per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 216.24 units per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 217.06 units per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 217.86 units per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 218.66 units per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 219.4 units per square kilometre | +0.3% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 219.4 units per square kilometre is above the median for low income countries, which is 63.56 units per square kilometre, 3.5× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 219.4 units per square kilometre is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 140.35 units per square kilometre, 1.6× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 110.36 units per square kilometre | 99.58 units per square kilometre | 122.64 units per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 138.83 units per square kilometre | 126.01 units per square kilometre | 149.35 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 161.9 units per square kilometre | 151.46 units per square kilometre | 172.78 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 186.23 units per square kilometre | 175.34 units per square kilometre | 195.15 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 201.79 units per square kilometre | 196.54 units per square kilometre | 206.61 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 211.89 units per square kilometre | 207.52 units per square kilometre | 216.24 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 218.25 units per square kilometre | 217.06 units per square kilometre | 219.4 units per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
- 60 Qatar 231.16 units per square kilometre compare
- 61 Switzerland 224.98 units per square kilometre compare
- 62 Malawi 223.85 units per square kilometre compare
- 64 Marshall Islands 215.71 units per square kilometre compare
- 65 Antigua and Barbuda 212.08 units per square kilometre compare
- 66 Nepal 207.15 units per square kilometre compare
More climate change data for North Korea
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 0.2% (2100)
- Population, total 26.57 million (2025)
- Precipitation anomalies, annual growth rate 27.14 % change on previous year (2025)
- Urban population, per capita 0.6419 units per person (2025)
- Urban population, annual growth rate 0.7919 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population, total, annual growth rate 0.2725 % change on previous year (2025)
- Urban population 17.06 million (2025)
- Urban population growth 0.8% (2025)
- Population growth 0.3% (2025)
- Greenhouse gas emissions by gas, per capita 0.0729 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population, total, per square kilometre in North Korea?
- Population, total, per square kilometre in North Korea was 219.4 units per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest population, total, per square kilometre recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 219.4 units per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest population, total, per square kilometre recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 99.58 units per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does North Korea rank for population, total, per square kilometre?
- North Korea ranks 63rd out of 216 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population, total, per square kilometre rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.3%. 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 Population, total, 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
Population, total 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.
Population, total ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Population, total World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN)
- 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
Population, total 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.