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
Latest (2025)
64.2%
Change on year
up 0.5%
World rank
125th
of 238 countries
All-time high
64.2%
in 2025
All-time low
0.0%
in 1000
Years of data
108
1000–2025
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.
Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in North Korea, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1000 | 0.0% | — |
| 1100 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1200 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1300 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1400 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1500 | 0.1% | +200.0% |
| 1600 | 0.3% | +200.0% |
| 1700 | 0.8% | +200.0% |
| 1710 | 0.7% | -11.5% |
| 1720 | 0.8% | +16.7% |
| 1730 | 1.0% | +16.7% |
| 1740 | 1.1% | +16.7% |
| 1750 | 1.3% | +16.7% |
| 1760 | 1.5% | +16.7% |
| 1770 | 1.8% | +16.7% |
| 1780 | 2.1% | +16.7% |
| 1790 | 2.4% | +16.7% |
| 1800 | 2.8% | +16.7% |
| 1810 | 3.3% | +16.7% |
| 1820 | 3.9% | +16.7% |
| 1830 | 4.5% | +16.7% |
| 1840 | 5.2% | +16.7% |
| 1850 | 6.1% | +16.7% |
| 1860 | 7.1% | +16.7% |
| 1870 | 8.3% | +16.7% |
| 1880 | 9.7% | +16.7% |
| 1890 | 11.3% | +16.7% |
| 1900 | 13.2% | +16.7% |
| 1910 | 15.4% | +16.7% |
| 1920 | 18.0% | +16.7% |
| 1930 | 21.0% | +16.7% |
| 1940 | 24.5% | +16.7% |
| 1950 | 4.0% | -83.8% |
| 1951 | 6.0% | +52.4% |
| 1952 | 8.9% | +46.6% |
| 1953 | 12.4% | +39.9% |
| 1954 | 18.8% | +51.6% |
| 1955 | 24.5% | +30.1% |
| 1956 | 29.0% | +18.6% |
| 1957 | 32.6% | +12.5% |
| 1958 | 35.8% | +9.7% |
| 1959 | 38.4% | +7.4% |
| 1960 | 40.6% | +5.6% |
| 1961 | 42.3% | +4.2% |
| 1962 | 43.7% | +3.4% |
| 1963 | 45.0% | +2.9% |
| 1964 | 46.2% | +2.7% |
| 1965 | 47.5% | +2.8% |
| 1966 | 49.0% | +3.1% |
| 1967 | 50.5% | +3.1% |
| 1968 | 52.0% | +2.9% |
| 1969 | 53.3% | +2.5% |
| 1970 | 54.2% | +1.8% |
| 1971 | 54.9% | +1.3% |
| 1972 | 55.6% | +1.2% |
| 1973 | 56.1% | +1.0% |
| 1974 | 56.5% | +0.7% |
| 1975 | 56.7% | +0.3% |
| 1976 | 56.8% | +0.1% |
| 1977 | 56.8% | +0.1% |
| 1978 | 56.8% | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 56.9% | +0.1% |
| 1980 | 56.9% | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 57.0% | +0.1% |
| 1982 | 57.1% | +0.2% |
| 1983 | 57.2% | +0.2% |
| 1984 | 57.4% | +0.3% |
| 1985 | 57.5% | +0.3% |
| 1986 | 57.7% | +0.3% |
| 1987 | 57.9% | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 58.1% | +0.3% |
| 1989 | 58.3% | +0.3% |
| 1990 | 58.4% | +0.3% |
| 1991 | 58.6% | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 58.7% | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 58.9% | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 59.0% | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 59.1% | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 59.2% | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 59.2% | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 59.3% | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 59.4% | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 59.4% | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 59.5% | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 59.5% | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 59.6% | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 59.7% | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 59.8% | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 59.8% | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 59.9% | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 60.0% | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 60.2% | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 60.3% | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 60.5% | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 60.7% | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 60.9% | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 61.1% | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 61.3% | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 61.6% | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 61.8% | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 62.1% | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 62.4% | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 62.6% | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 62.9% | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 63.2% | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 63.5% | +0.5% |
| 2024 | 63.9% | +0.5% |
| 2025 | 64.2% | +0.5% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 64.2% is above the median for low income countries, which is 34.5%, 1.9× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 64.2% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 65.4%, 98% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in North Korea changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1100 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1200 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1300 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1400 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1500 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 1600 | +200.0% | 0.1% | 0.3% |
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
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.9593 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 1.75 (2050)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.3103 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month -2.22 °C (2026)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.7425 °C (2026)
- Spring temperature anomalies 2.29 °C (2026)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CH4) - IPCC Agriculture 245.47 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Direct emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 5.57 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Direct emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.91 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 (AR5) - IPCC Agriculture 6,873 (2050)
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 modeled historical data.