Population
26.4M persons, 1 July latest value, 2023
Population on 1 July. UN estimate to 2023, medium variant from 2024; past UN revisions for forecast checks.
North Korea
All indicators of the Macroscope base for North Korea, with sources. Below: what past UN and IMF releases projected and what actually happened.
What the data shows
Computed with the same code as the observations under the main chart and in the API (get_insights). Moving together in time does not prove a cause.
How the indicators changed
- Fertility (TFR): 4.99 in 1950 → 1.78 in 2023 (−64%). Threshold: below 2.1 since 1996. The trend broke around 1968 and 1995: +0.01 → −0.06 → −0.01 a year.
- Births: 452k in 1950 → 342k in 2023 (−24%). Peak: 549k in 1967; the latest value is 38% lower. The trend broke around 1970 and 1976: +12.5k → −21.4k → −1.42k a year.
- Population: 11.1M in 1950 → 26.4M in 2023 (+138%). Low: 10.2M in 1953; ×2.6 since then. The trend broke around 1956 and 1996: −2.75k → +315k → +126k a year.
- Internet: 0% in 1990 → 0% in 2004 (0 pp).
- Urban share: 40.6% in 1960 → 64.2% in 2025 (+24 pp). Threshold: above 50% since 1967. The trend broke around 1971: change slowed down (+1.4 → +0.12 a year).
What changed at the same time
- The fastest decline of "Fertility (TFR)" was in 1950–1960: 4.99 → 3.57. Over the same years: births 452k → 409k; population 11.1M → 11.7M; urban share 40.6% (1960); no data for the others in those years.
- Over the last 10 years (2013–2023): fertility (TFR) 1.88 → 1.78; births 338k → 342k; population 25.3M → 26.4M; urban share 60.9% → 63.5%; no data for the others in those years.
How the indicators relate
- Fertility (TFR) and internet: too few common years with data (9) to speak of a relationship.
- Fertility (TFR) and urban share (1960–2023, 64 years): levels are strongly related, in opposite directions (r = −0.81); year-to-year changes show no reliable link (r = 0.23). This looks like a shared trend: both change over time, but not in step from year to year.
Forecasts vs actual
- Fertility (TFR): past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 11 of 11 revisions (1998–2022) and above in none; median gap −2.8%.
- Fertility (TFR): UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 1.67 (−6% vs 2023), 2100 — 1.64 (−8% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 1.14.
- Births: past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 6 of 11 revisions (1998–2022) and above in 5; median gap −1.4%.
- The UN 1998 projection did not expect today's level (342k, 2023) before its horizon ended (2047).
- The UN 2019 projection expected today's level (342k, 2023) only around 2027: reality is 4 years ahead of it.
- Births: UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 264k (−23% vs 2023), 2100 — 158k (−54% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 52.4k.
- Population: past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 1 of 12 revisions (1998–2022) and above in 11; median gap +2.1%.
- Population: UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 25.8M (−2% vs 2023), 2100 — 19.5M (−26% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 12.7M.
UN projections vs actual
Solid line: actual data, UN WPP 2024 estimates to 2023, then national statistics where comparable with the UN. Dashed: medium variants of past UN revisions. The table shows what each revision expected for the latest year (or five-year period) with actual data.
Population
persons, 1 July
- Actual
- UN 1998
- UN 2000
- UN 2002
- UN 2004
- UN 2006
- UN 2008
- UN 2010
- UN 2012
- UN 2015
- UN 2017
- UN 2019
- UN 2022
- UN 2024, medium
| Release | Target period | Horizon | Expected | Actual | Actual vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UN 1998 | 2023 | 25 years | 29M | 26.4M | −8.9% |
| UN 2000 | 2023 | 23 years | 25.6M | 26.4M | +3.2% |
| UN 2002 | 2023 | 21 years | 24.5M | 26.4M | +7.9% |
| UN 2004 | 2023 | 19 years | 24M | 26.4M | +10.2% |
| UN 2006 | 2023 | 17 years | 25.1M | 26.4M | +5.3% |
| UN 2008 | 2023 | 15 years | 25M | 26.4M | +5.6% |
| UN 2010 | 2023 | 13 years | 25.6M | 26.4M | +3% |
| UN 2012 | 2023 | 11 years | 26.1M | 26.4M | +1.2% |
| UN 2015 | 2023 | 8 years | 26.1M | 26.4M | +1.3% |
| UN 2017 | 2023 | 6 years | 26.2M | 26.4M | +1% |
| UN 2019 | 2023 | 4 years | 26.1M | 26.4M | +1.3% |
| UN 2022 | 2023 | 1 year | 26.2M | 26.4M | +1% |
Births
births per year
- Actual
- UN 1998
- UN 2000
- UN 2002
- UN 2004
- UN 2006
- UN 2008
- UN 2010
- UN 2012
- UN 2015
- UN 2017
- UN 2019
- UN 2022
- UN 2024, medium
| Release | Target period | Horizon | Expected | Actual | Actual vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UN 1998 | 2015–2020 | 20 years | 388k | 348k | −10.3% |
| UN 2000 | 2015–2020 | 18 years | 394k | 348k | −11.8% |
| UN 2002 | 2015–2020 | 16 years | 346k | 348k | +0.6% |
| UN 2004 | 2015–2020 | 14 years | 339k | 348k | +2.5% |
| UN 2006 | 2015–2020 | 12 years | 347k | 348k | +0.2% |
| UN 2008 | 2015–2020 | 10 years | 343k | 348k | +1.3% |
| UN 2010 | 2015–2020 | 8 years | 361k | 348k | −3.7% |
| UN 2012 | 2015–2020 | 6 years | 363k | 348k | −4.3% |
| UN 2015 | 2015–2020 | 2 years | 362k | 348k | −4% |
| UN 2017 | 2015–2020 | 0 years | 352k | 348k | −1.4% |
| UN 2022 | 2023 | 1 year | 339k | 342k | +1% |
Total fertility rate
children per woman
- Actual
- UN 1998
- UN 2000
- UN 2002
- UN 2004
- UN 2006
- UN 2008
- UN 2010
- UN 2012
- UN 2015
- UN 2017
- UN 2019
- UN 2022
- UN 2024, medium
| Release | Target period | Horizon | Expected | Actual | Actual vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UN 1998 | 2015–2020 | 20 years | 1.90 | 1.84 | −3.1% |
| UN 2000 | 2015–2020 | 18 years | 2.10 | 1.84 | −12.3% |
| UN 2002 | 2015–2020 | 16 years | 1.85 | 1.84 | −0.5% |
| UN 2004 | 2015–2020 | 14 years | 1.85 | 1.84 | −0.5% |
| UN 2006 | 2015–2020 | 12 years | 1.85 | 1.84 | −0.5% |
| UN 2008 | 2015–2020 | 10 years | 1.85 | 1.84 | −0.5% |
| UN 2010 | 2015–2020 | 8 years | 1.94 | 1.84 | −5% |
| UN 2012 | 2015–2020 | 6 years | 1.94 | 1.84 | −5.1% |
| UN 2015 | 2015–2020 | 2 years | 1.94 | 1.84 | −4.9% |
| UN 2017 | 2015–2020 | 0 years | 1.89 | 1.84 | −2.8% |
| UN 2022 | 2023 | 1 year | 1.79 | 1.78 | −0.6% |
All indicators
Demography
Births
342k births per year latest value, 2023
Live births per calendar year. UN WPP 2024 and national statistics (64 countries, 2015-2025).
Total fertility rate
1.78 children per woman latest value, 2023
Average number of children a woman would have at the age-specific fertility rates of the year.
Life expectancy at birth, women
75.7 years latest value, 2023
Years a newborn girl would live at the mortality rates of the year (UN).
Life expectancy at birth, men
71.5 years latest value, 2023
Years a newborn boy would live at the mortality rates of the year (UN).
Median age
36 years latest value, 2023
Age that divides the population in two halves (UN).
Mean age of mothers at childbirth
28.8 years latest value, 2023
Mean age of mothers at the birth of their children of any order (UN).
Sex ratio at birth
106 boys per 100 girls latest value, 2023
Boys born per 100 girls born (UN).
Net migration
−2k persons per year latest value, 2023
Immigrants minus emigrants per year (UN estimate and projection).
Old-age dependency
17.6 persons 65+ per 100 aged 20-64 latest value, 2020
Persons aged 65+ per 100 aged 20-64, every five years (UN).
Digitalisation
Internet users
0 % of population latest value, 2004
Share of individuals who used the Internet in the last three months from any device. ITU data.
Mobile cellular subscriptions
24.1 per 100 people latest value, 2022
Active mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 people; can exceed 100 when people have several SIM cards. ITU data.
Society
Urban population
64.2 % of population latest value, 2025
Share of people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices (World Bank, from UN World Urbanization Prospects).
Tertiary enrolment, women
18 % gross latest value, 2018
Women enrolled in tertiary education as a share of women in the five-year age group after secondary school; can exceed 100 (UNESCO).
Life expectancy at birth
73.7 years latest value, 2024
Life expectancy at birth, both sexes (World Bank, from UN and national statistics).
Same region: Asia
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