🇰🇵 North Korea Population 2026

As of 2026, the population of North Korea is 26,633,691, ranking #56 in the world (0.32% of the global population), based on UN World Population Prospects 2024. The population is growing at 0.22% per year. The biggest city is Pyongyang with 3,222,000 inhabitants.

Live estimate

26,634,609

Growth rate

0.22%

Density

221

people / km² (573 / mi²)

Median age

36.8

Fertility rate

1.75

births per woman

Life expectancy

74.0

years

North Korea population 1950–2100

Population of North Korea, 1950–2100 — solid: UN estimates, dashed: UN medium-variant projection.

By 2050, the population of North Korea is projected to reach 25,787,127, and 19,512,149 by 2100. The population is expected to peak in 2032 at 26,801,082, then decline.

North Korea population by year

Year	Population	Growth	Density /km²	Median age
2026	26,633,691	0.22%	221.2	36.8
2025	26,571,036	0.25%	220.7	36.5
2024	26,498,823	0.29%	220.1	36.3
2023	26,418,204	0.32%	219.4	36.0
2022	26,328,845	0.36%	218.7	35.8
2021	26,232,534	0.37%	217.9	35.6
2020	26,136,312	0.36%	217.1	35.3
2019	26,037,632	0.40%	216.2	35.1
2018	25,931,147	0.42%	215.4	34.9
2017	25,817,709	0.45%	214.4	34.7
2016	25,698,326	0.47%	213.4	34.4
2015	25,575,350	0.48%	212.4	34.2
2014	25,451,262	0.49%	211.4	34.0
2013	25,329,451	0.47%	210.4	33.7
2012	25,211,728	0.46%	209.4	33.5
2011	25,097,874	0.45%	208.4	33.3
2010	24,987,258	0.44%	207.5	33.0
2009	24,878,332	0.44%	206.6	32.8
2008	24,764,618	0.48%	205.7	32.5
2007	24,646,384	0.48%	204.7	32.1
2006	24,524,507	0.52%	203.7	31.8
2005	24,396,433	0.53%	202.6	31.4
2004	24,254,943	0.63%	201.4	30.9
2003	24,090,380	0.73%	200.1	30.4
2002	23,943,973	0.49%	198.9	30.0
2001	23,815,358	0.59%	197.8	29.5
2000	23,665,910	0.67%	196.5	29.1
1999	23,497,598	0.76%	195.1	28.6
1998	23,311,564	0.83%	193.6	28.2
1997	23,110,830	0.90%	191.9	27.8
1996	22,895,746	0.97%	190.1	27.3
1995	22,669,304	1.02%	188.3	26.9
1994	22,393,975	1.43%	186.0	26.4
1993	22,073,352	1.45%	183.3	26.0
1992	21,750,911	1.49%	180.6	25.6
1991	21,428,638	1.50%	178.0	25.3
1990	21,112,137	1.48%	175.3	24.9
1989	20,804,367	1.46%	172.8	24.5
1988	20,503,161	1.46%	170.3	24.1
1987	20,205,483	1.47%	167.8	23.8
1986	19,910,855	1.47%	165.4	23.4
1985	19,620,388	1.47%	162.9	23.1
1984	19,335,043	1.46%	160.6	22.8
1983	19,054,034	1.46%	158.2	22.5
1982	18,776,357	1.47%	155.9	22.1
1981	18,501,295	1.48%	153.7	21.8
1980	18,236,786	1.40%	151.5	21.4
1979	17,983,470	1.40%	149.4	20.9
1978	17,735,995	1.37%	147.3	20.5
1977	17,492,798	1.39%	145.3	20.2
1976	17,243,450	1.48%	143.2	19.9
1975	16,971,055	1.70%	140.9	19.7
1974	16,673,121	1.84%	138.5	19.6
1973	16,350,366	2.07%	135.8	19.7
1972	15,975,069	2.58%	132.7	20.2
1971	15,572,456	2.52%	129.3	20.4
1970	15,172,775	2.68%	126.0	20.4
1969	14,767,616	2.74%	122.6	20.5
1968	14,365,596	2.78%	119.3	20.5
1967	13,958,350	2.97%	115.9	20.4
1966	13,569,094	2.68%	112.7	20.3
1965	13,219,368	2.54%	109.8	20.2
1964	12,889,770	2.51%	107.0	20.0
1963	12,567,056	2.56%	104.4	19.8
1962	12,262,882	2.34%	101.8	19.6
1961	11,990,713	2.15%	99.6	19.2
1960	11,722,953	2.37%	97.4	18.9
1959	11,452,990	2.29%	95.1	18.6
1958	11,163,748	2.83%	92.7	18.3
1957	10,854,685	2.78%	90.1	18.0
1956	10,600,379	1.95%	88.0	17.7
1955	10,403,324	1.80%	86.4	17.3
1954	10,242,802	1.30%	85.1	16.9
1953	10,177,412	-0.03%	84.5	16.6
1952	10,253,642	-1.46%	85.2	16.3
1951	10,583,568	-4.82%	87.9	16.1
1950	11,116,736	-5.00%	92.3	16.3

Year	Population	Growth	Density /km²	Median age
2027	26,686,498	0.18%	221.6	37.1
2028	26,729,272	0.14%	222.0	37.4
2029	26,762,017	0.10%	222.3	37.6
2030	26,784,904	0.07%	222.4	38.0
2031	26,797,950	0.03%	222.6	38.3
2032	26,801,082	-0.01%	222.6	38.6
2033	26,795,075	-0.04%	222.5	38.9
2034	26,780,495	-0.07%	222.4	39.3
2035	26,757,724	-0.10%	222.2	39.6
2036	26,727,322	-0.13%	222.0	39.9
2037	26,689,925	-0.15%	221.7	40.2
2038	26,646,328	-0.17%	221.3	40.6
2039	26,596,979	-0.20%	220.9	40.9
2040	26,542,432	-0.21%	220.4	41.2
2041	26,483,481	-0.23%	219.9	41.4
2042	26,420,821	-0.24%	219.4	41.7
2043	26,354,342	-0.26%	218.9	41.9
2044	26,284,018	-0.27%	218.3	42.1
2045	26,210,203	-0.29%	217.7	42.3
2046	26,132,926	-0.30%	217.0	42.5
2047	26,052,096	-0.32%	216.4	42.7
2048	25,967,589	-0.33%	215.7	42.8
2049	25,879,257	-0.35%	214.9	42.8
2050	25,787,127	-0.36%	214.2	42.9
2051	25,691,411	-0.38%	213.4	43.0
2052	25,592,171	-0.39%	212.5	43.0
2053	25,489,485	-0.41%	211.7	43.1
2054	25,383,403	-0.42%	210.8	43.1
2055	25,274,088	-0.44%	209.9	43.2
2056	25,161,315	-0.46%	209.0	43.3
2057	25,045,442	-0.47%	208.0	43.3
2058	24,926,872	-0.48%	207.0	43.4
2059	24,805,874	-0.49%	206.0	43.6
2060	24,682,709	-0.50%	205.0	43.7
2061	24,557,407	-0.51%	203.9	43.8
2062	24,430,636	-0.52%	202.9	44.0
2063	24,302,979	-0.53%	201.8	44.2
2064	24,174,439	-0.53%	200.8	44.4
2065	24,045,013	-0.54%	199.7	44.6
2066	23,915,148	-0.54%	198.6	44.8
2067	23,785,392	-0.55%	197.5	45.0
2068	23,655,910	-0.55%	196.5	45.2
2069	23,526,598	-0.55%	195.4	45.4
2070	23,397,808	-0.55%	194.3	45.6
2071	23,269,557	-0.55%	193.3	45.8
2072	23,141,672	-0.55%	192.2	46.0
2073	23,014,120	-0.55%	191.1	46.2
2074	22,886,769	-0.56%	190.1	46.3
2075	22,759,811	-0.56%	189.0	46.5
2076	22,633,219	-0.56%	188.0	46.6
2077	22,506,532	-0.56%	186.9	46.7
2078	22,379,596	-0.57%	185.9	46.8
2079	22,252,378	-0.57%	184.8	46.9
2080	22,124,706	-0.58%	183.7	47.0
2081	21,996,518	-0.58%	182.7	47.0
2082	21,867,789	-0.59%	181.6	47.1
2083	21,738,766	-0.59%	180.5	47.1
2084	21,609,357	-0.60%	179.5	47.2
2085	21,479,322	-0.61%	178.4	47.2
2086	21,348,619	-0.61%	177.3	47.2
2087	21,217,308	-0.62%	176.2	47.2
2088	21,085,766	-0.62%	175.1	47.3
2089	20,953,947	-0.63%	174.0	47.3
2090	20,821,743	-0.64%	172.9	47.4
2091	20,689,264	-0.64%	171.8	47.5
2092	20,556,691	-0.65%	170.7	47.6
2093	20,424,481	-0.65%	169.6	47.7
2094	20,292,746	-0.65%	168.5	47.8
2095	20,161,119	-0.65%	167.4	47.9
2096	20,029,753	-0.65%	166.3	48.0
2097	19,899,159	-0.65%	165.3	48.2
2098	19,769,478	-0.65%	164.2	48.3
2099	19,640,506	-0.66%	163.1	48.5
2100	19,512,149	-0.66%	162.0	48.6

States & provinces of North Korea by population

#	State / province	Population	Share
1	P'yŏngan-namdo	4,051,696	15.2%
2	Hamgyŏng-namdo	3,066,013	11.5%
3	P'yŏngan-bukto	2,728,662	10.2%
4	P'yŏngyang	2,514,692	9.4%
5	Hamgyŏng-bukto	2,327,362	8.7%
6	Hwanghae-namdo	2,310,485	8.7%
7	Hwanghae-bukto	2,113,672	7.9%
8	Kangwŏn-do	1,477,582	5.5%
9	Chagang-do	1,299,830	4.9%
10	Ryanggang	719,269	2.7%
11	Rasŏn	196,954	0.7%

State populations: GeoNames (latest official figures, reference dates vary by country).

Biggest cities in North Korea

#	City	Region	Population
1	Pyongyang capital	Pyongyang	3,222,000
2	Hamhŭng	South Hamgyong	559,056
3	Namp’o	Nampo	455,000
4	Sunch’ŏn	South Pyongan	437,000
5	Hŭngnam	South Hamgyong	346,082
6	Kaesŏng	Kaesong	338,155
7	Wŏnsan	Kangwŏn-do	329,207
8	Chongjin	North Hamgyong	327,000
9	Man’gyŏngdae-ri	Pyongyang	321,690
10	Kaech’ŏn	South Pyongan	319,554
11	Sariwŏn-si	North Hwanghae	310,100
12	Sinŭiju	P'yŏngan-bukto	288,112
13	Tŏkch’ŏn	South Pyongan	237,133
14	Haeju	South Hwanghae	222,396
15	Kanggye	Chagang	209,530

FAQ

What is the population of North Korea in 2026?

The population of North Korea is 26,633,691 in 2026, according to UN World Population Prospects 2024 (medium variant).

What is the biggest city in North Korea?

Pyongyang is the biggest city in North Korea with 3,222,000 inhabitants and it is also the capital.

Is the population of North Korea growing or shrinking?

The population of North Korea is growing at 0.22% per year, and is projected to peak in 2032 at 26,801,082.

Neighboring countries

Sources

Country data: United Nations World Population Prospects 2024, medium variant (CC BY 3.0 IGO). Retrieved 2026-07-06.
City and state data: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Retrieved 2026-07-06.

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