Compare
North Korea vs Russia
How North Korea and Russia compare on 31 measures, from 1789 to 2025. The main differences:
- Life expectancy · In 2023, North Korea was higher: 73.6 years against 73.2 years
- Population · In 2023, Russia was higher: 145 million people against 26.4 million people
- CO₂ per person · In 2024, Russia was higher: 13.98 tonnes against 2.5 tonnes
- Electoral democracy · In 2025, Russia was higher: 0.17 of 1 against 0.08 of 1
- Life expectancyNorth Korea: 73.6 years in 2023Russia: 73.2 years in 2023
- PopulationNorth Korea: 26.4 million people in 2023Russia: 145 million people in 2023
- TemperatureNorth Korea: 8.5 °C in 2025Russia: -2.3 °C in 2025
- Child mortalityNorth Korea: 1.7 per 100 live births in 2024Russia: 0.5 per 100 live births in 2024
Every measure
Health
- Life expectancyNorth Korea: 73.6 years in 2023Russia: 73.2 years in 2023
- Child mortalityNorth Korea: 1.7 per 100 live births in 2024Russia: 0.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityNorth Korea: 14.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023Russia: 3.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterNorth Korea: 66.5% in 2022Russia: 76.2% in 2022
- DepressionNorth Korea: 3.09% in 2017Russia: 3.71% in 2017
- Suicide rateNorth Korea: 11.1 per 100,000 people in 2017Russia: 25.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationNorth Korea: 26.4 million people in 2023Russia: 145 million people in 2023
- Population growthNorth Korea: 0.32% a year in 2023Russia: -0.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateNorth Korea: 1.78 births per woman in 2023Russia: 1.45 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationNorth Korea: 64.2% in 2025Russia: 75.3% in 2025
- Median ageNorth Korea: 36.1 years in 2023Russia: 39.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overNorth Korea: 12% in 2023Russia: 16.6% in 2023
- Net migration rateNorth Korea: -0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023Russia: 0.2 per 1,000 people in 2023
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending per personNorth Korea: $62 in 2018Russia: $1,318 in 2025
- Armed forces personnelNorth Korea: 1.47 million people in 2020Russia: 1.45 million people in 2020
- National powerNorth Korea: 1.41% of world capability in 2022Russia: 3.82% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersNorth Korea: 8.62% of the labour force in 2020Russia: 1.98% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsNorth Korea: 1 million TIV in 2010Russia: 129 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsNorth Korea: 44 million TIV in 2025Russia: 1.94 billion TIV in 2025
Climate
Technology and environment
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Sources: UN, Gapminder and UN IGME, WHO/UNICEF, IHME, UNESCO, 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