Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in North Korea
North Korea: Do more people live in urban or rural areas? was 64.2% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in North Korea, 1000–2025
Source: HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, do more people live in urban or rural areas? in North Korea stood at 64.2%. That is the highest value across all 108 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 4.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, do more people live in urban or rural areas? in North Korea peaked at 64.2% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1000.
North Korea ranks 125th of 238 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1100s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1200s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1300s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1400s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1500s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1600s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 1 |
| 1700s | 0.8% | 0.8% | 0.8% | 1 |
| 1710s | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.7% | 1 |
| 1720s | 0.8% | 0.8% | 0.8% | 1 |
| 1730s | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1 |
| 1740s | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1 |
| 1750s | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1 |
| 1760s | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1 |
| 1770s | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1 |
| 1780s | 2.1% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 1 |
| 1790s | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 1 |
| 1800s | 2.8% | 2.8% | 2.8% | 1 |
| 1810s | 3.3% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 1 |
| 1820s | 3.9% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 1 |
| 1830s | 4.5% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 1 |
| 1840s | 5.2% | 5.2% | 5.2% | 1 |
| 1850s | 6.1% | 6.1% | 6.1% | 1 |
| 1860s | 7.1% | 7.1% | 7.1% | 1 |
| 1870s | 8.3% | 8.3% | 8.3% | 1 |
| 1880s | 9.7% | 9.7% | 9.7% | 1 |
| 1890s | 11.3% | 11.3% | 11.3% | 1 |
| 1900s | 13.2% | 13.2% | 13.2% | 1 |
| 1910s | 15.4% | 15.4% | 15.4% | 1 |
| 1920s | 18.0% | 18.0% | 18.0% | 1 |
| 1930s | 21.0% | 21.0% | 21.0% | 1 |
| 1940s | 24.5% | 24.5% | 24.5% | 1 |
| 1950s | 21.0% | 4.0% | 38.4% | 10 |
| 1960s | 47.0% | 40.6% | 53.3% | 10 |
| 1970s | 56.1% | 54.2% | 56.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 57.5% | 56.9% | 58.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 59.0% | 58.4% | 59.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 59.7% | 59.4% | 60.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 61.3% | 60.3% | 62.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 63.4% | 62.6% | 64.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
More reference data data for North Korea
- Temperature anomalies by month -2.22 °C (2026)
- Spring temperature anomalies 2.29 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.3103 °C (2026)
- Chief executive of the government is elected 0 (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.9637 °C (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 2 °C (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Democracy 1 (2025)
- Precipitation anomalies 127.56 millimeters (2025)
- Free country 0 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is do more people live in urban or rural areas? in North Korea?
- Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in North Korea was 64.2% in 2025, according to HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest do more people live in urban or rural areas? recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 64.2% in 2025.
- What is the lowest do more people live in urban or rural areas? recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1000.
- How does North Korea rank for do more people live in urban or rural areas??
- North Korea ranks 125th out of 238 countries with data for 2025.
- Is do more people live in urban or rural areas? rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this North Korea data come from?
- The figures come from HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Do more people live in urban or rural areas?. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 108 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the population living in urban areas, combining UN estimates with modelled historical data.