Compare
Australia vs North Korea
How Australia and North Korea compare on 29 measures, from 1789 to 2025. The main differences:
- Life expectancy · In 2023, Australia was higher: 83.9 years against 73.6 years
- Population · In 2023, Australia was higher: 26.5 million people against 26.4 million people
- CO₂ per person · In 2024, Australia was higher: 14.1 tonnes against 2.5 tonnes
- Electoral democracy · In 2025, Australia was higher: 0.84 of 1 against 0.08 of 1
- Life expectancyAustralia: 83.9 years in 2023North Korea: 73.6 years in 2023
- PopulationAustralia: 26.5 million people in 2023North Korea: 26.4 million people in 2023
- TemperatureAustralia: 22.6 °C in 2025North Korea: 8.5 °C in 2025
- Child mortalityAustralia: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024North Korea: 1.7 per 100 live births in 2024
Every measure
Health
- Life expectancyAustralia: 83.9 years in 2023North Korea: 73.6 years in 2023
- Child mortalityAustralia: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024North Korea: 1.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityAustralia: 3.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023North Korea: 14.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionAustralia: 4.62% in 2017North Korea: 3.09% in 2017
- Suicide rateAustralia: 11.1 per 100,000 people in 2017North Korea: 11.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationAustralia: 26.5 million people in 2023North Korea: 26.4 million people in 2023
- Population growthAustralia: 0.99% a year in 2023North Korea: 0.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateAustralia: 1.64 births per woman in 2023North Korea: 1.78 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationAustralia: 87.7% in 2025North Korea: 64.2% in 2025
- Median ageAustralia: 37.8 years in 2023North Korea: 36.1 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overAustralia: 17.4% in 2023North Korea: 12% in 2023
- Net migration rateAustralia: 5.3 per 1,000 people in 2023North Korea: -0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending per personAustralia: $1,316 in 2025North Korea: $62 in 2018
- Armed forces personnelAustralia: 60,000 people in 2020North Korea: 1.47 million people in 2020
- National powerAustralia: 0.6% of world capability in 2022North Korea: 1.41% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersAustralia: 0.44% of the labour force in 2020North Korea: 8.62% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsAustralia: 826 million TIV in 2025North Korea: 1 million TIV in 2010
- Arms exportsAustralia: 108 million TIV in 2025North Korea: 44 million TIV in 2025
Climate
Technology and environment
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Sources: UN, Gapminder and UN IGME, IHME, Our World in Data, V-Dem, UCDP, SIPRI, IISS, Correlates of War, ERA5, CMIP6, EDGAR, ITU, World Bank and FAO. Each measure’s page names its own and what it counts.
- Values are drawn on today’s borders. Years without a published value are left empty, never filled in.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time