Urban population, per square kilometre in North Korea
North Korea: Urban population, per square kilometre was 139.41 units per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
139.41 units per square kilometre
Change on year
up 0.8%
World rank
54th
of 216 countries
All-time high
139.41 units per square kilometre
in 2023
All-time low
42.14 units per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Urban population, per square kilometre in North Korea, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per square kilometre.
Analysis
In 2023, urban population, per square kilometre in North Korea stood at 139.41 units per square kilometre. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 8.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population, per square kilometre in North Korea peaked at 139.41 units per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 42.14 units per square kilometre, in 1961.
North Korea ranks 54th of 216 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Urban population, per square kilometre in North Korea, year by year
| Year | units per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 42.14 units per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 44.55 units per square kilometre | +5.7% |
| 1963 | 46.97 units per square kilometre | +5.4% |
| 1964 | 49.47 units per square kilometre | +5.3% |
| 1965 | 52.15 units per square kilometre | +5.4% |
| 1966 | 55.16 units per square kilometre | +5.8% |
| 1967 | 58.53 units per square kilometre | +6.1% |
| 1968 | 62 units per square kilometre | +5.9% |
| 1969 | 65.31 units per square kilometre | +5.3% |
| 1970 | 68.3 units per square kilometre | +4.6% |
| 1971 | 71.02 units per square kilometre | +4.0% |
| 1972 | 73.72 units per square kilometre | +3.8% |
| 1973 | 76.2 units per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 1974 | 78.25 units per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 1975 | 79.92 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1976 | 81.28 units per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1977 | 82.51 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1978 | 83.7 units per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1979 | 84.91 units per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1980 | 86.18 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1981 | 87.54 units per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 1982 | 89.01 units per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1983 | 90.53 units per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1984 | 92.11 units per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1985 | 93.74 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1986 | 95.42 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1987 | 97.14 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1988 | 98.89 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1989 | 100.66 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1990 | 102.46 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1991 | 104.29 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1992 | 106.12 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1993 | 107.93 units per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1994 | 109.69 units per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 1995 | 111.21 units per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1996 | 112.48 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1997 | 113.68 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1998 | 114.8 units per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 1999 | 115.84 units per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 116.79 units per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2001 | 117.64 units per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 118.4 units per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 119.25 units per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 120.21 units per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 121.06 units per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 121.87 units per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 122.66 units per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 123.47 units per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 124.29 units per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 125.15 units per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 126.07 units per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 127.05 units per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 128.08 units per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 129.13 units per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 130.25 units per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 131.4 units per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 132.55 units per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 133.7 units per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 134.84 units per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 135.96 units per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2021 | 137.09 units per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 138.25 units per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 139.41 units per square kilometre | +0.8% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 139.41 units per square kilometre is above the median for low income countries, which is 23.39 units per square kilometre, 6.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 139.41 units per square kilometre is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 81.73 units per square kilometre, 1.7× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 52.92 units per square kilometre | 42.14 units per square kilometre | 65.31 units per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 77.98 units per square kilometre | 68.3 units per square kilometre | 84.91 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 93.12 units per square kilometre | 86.18 units per square kilometre | 100.66 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 109.85 units per square kilometre | 102.46 units per square kilometre | 115.84 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 120.56 units per square kilometre | 116.79 units per square kilometre | 124.29 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 129.82 units per square kilometre | 125.15 units per square kilometre | 134.84 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 137.68 units per square kilometre | 135.96 units per square kilometre | 139.41 units per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
- 51 Comoros 151.48 units per square kilometre compare
- 52 British Virgin Islands 144.61 units per square kilometre compare
- 53 Trinidad and Tobago 143.82 units per square kilometre compare
- 55 Italy 138.7 units per square kilometre compare
- 56 Nepal 137.84 units per square kilometre compare
- 57 Denmark 131.65 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 urban population, per square kilometre in North Korea?
- Urban population, per square kilometre in North Korea was 139.41 units per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest urban population, per square kilometre recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 139.41 units per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest urban population, per square kilometre recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 42.14 units per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does North Korea rank for urban population, per square kilometre?
- North Korea ranks 54th out of 216 countries with data for 2023.
- Is urban population, 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 Urban population, 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
Urban population 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.
Urban population ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Urban population World Urbanization 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
Urban population 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.