Total population in North Korea

In 2025, the total population (number of people) in North Korea was 26,571,036 people, up from 26,498,823 people in 2024. This gives North Korea the 56th-highest globally (out of 236 economies with available data).
Total population
Number of people
North Korea
How North Korea compares
Total population

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About this indicator
Total population refers to all residents of a country or territory, regardless of legal status or citizenship. It reflects demographic dynamics driven by births, deaths, and migration.
Population data are essential for calculating per capita indicators and for understanding the scale of an economy, its labor force, and its social services demand. Changes in population size have direct implications for economic growth potential, fiscal sustainability, and resource allocation.
This indicator is measured at mid-year (July 1) and expressed in number of people.
Sources and updates

Data sources

The data for this indicator are drawn from the United Nations (UN) World Population Prospects database.

Last update

This indicator was last updated on Econorama on 18 June 2026 and reflects the latest data available from the underlying sources at that time.
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Population & Demographics

Cumulative growth of population
Total growth of population (%) since 2010
Rank160th of 236
Median age of population
Age dividing the population into two equal halves
Rank92nd of 236
Elderly population
Share of total population aged 65 and over
Rank94th of 236

Health

Obesity among adults
Share of adults aged 18+ with BMI ≥ 30
Rank161st of 199
Cigarette smoking
Share of the population aged 15+ who smoke
Rank88th of 167
Alcohol consumption
Liters of pure alcohol consumed per adult (15+)
Rank137th of 207
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