North Korea vs South Korea: Annual precipitation
North Korea
1,237 millimeters
in 2025
South Korea
1,270 millimeters
in 2025
North Korea rank
70th
South Korea rank
67th
Annual precipitation over time
- North Korea
- South Korea
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 1,270 millimeters against 1,237 millimeters in North Korea, a difference of 33 millimeters.
The two have swapped places 46 times across 86 shared years of data; in 1940 it was South Korea ahead.
North Korea ranks 70th and South Korea ranks 67th of 192 countries.
Across the 9 decades both report, North Korea averaged higher in 2 and South Korea in 7.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | North Korea | South Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 1,030 millimeters | 1,001 millimeters | 29.14 millimeters | North Korea |
| 1950s | 1,101 millimeters | 1,273 millimeters | 171.94 millimeters | South Korea |
| 1960s | 1,309 millimeters | 1,242 millimeters | 67.77 millimeters | North Korea |
| 1970s | 1,211 millimeters | 1,307 millimeters | 95.83 millimeters | South Korea |
| 1980s | 1,172 millimeters | 1,365 millimeters | 193.13 millimeters | South Korea |
| 1990s | 1,156 millimeters | 1,298 millimeters | 142.17 millimeters | South Korea |
| 2000s | 1,107 millimeters | 1,238 millimeters | 130.57 millimeters | South Korea |
| 2010s | 1,084 millimeters | 1,179 millimeters | 95.58 millimeters | South Korea |
| 2020s | 1,287 millimeters | 1,344 millimeters | 56.59 millimeters | South Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher annual precipitation, North Korea or South Korea?
- South Korea, at 1,270 millimeters against 1,237 millimeters in North Korea as of 2025.
- What is the difference in annual precipitation between North Korea and South Korea?
- 33 millimeters, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for North Korea and South Korea?
- 86 years are reported by both, from 1940 to 2025.
- How do North Korea and South Korea rank globally for annual precipitation?
- North Korea ranks 70th and South Korea ranks 67th of 192 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Annual precipitation. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Total annual precipitation—rain and snow—calculated as the sum of daily averages, reported as the depth of water falling to Earth's surface, excluding fog and dew.