North Korea vs South Korea
North Korea vs South Korea: Internet users
Internet users: 0% in North Korea in 2004 and 97.9% in South Korea in 2024, by ITU estimates. In 2004 the value was higher in South Korea, by 72.7 percentage points.
% of people · ITU
What the numbers say
- South Korea has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1990.
Every year
% of people · ITU
| Year | North Korea | South Korea | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | – | – | 73.6 |
| 2024 | – | 97.9 | 71.2 |
| 2023 | – | 97.4 | 69.2 |
| 2022 | – | 97.2 | 67 |
| 2021 | – | 97.6 | 63.8 |
| 2020 | – | 96.5 | 60.1 |
| 2019 | – | 96.2 | 53.9 |
| 2018 | – | 96 | 49.4 |
| 2017 | – | 95.1 | 46.3 |
| 2016 | – | 92.8 | 43.6 |
| 2015 | – | 89.9 | 39.9 |
| 2014 | – | 87.6 | 37.4 |
| 2013 | – | 84.8 | 35.3 |
| 2012 | – | 84.1 | 33.3 |
| 2011 | – | 83.8 | 30.9 |
| 2010 | – | 83.7 | 28.4 |
| 2009 | – | 81.6 | 25.3 |
| 2008 | – | 81 | 22.8 |
| 2007 | – | 78.8 | 20.2 |
| 2006 | – | 78.1 | 17.2 |
| 2005 | – | 73.5 | 15.6 |
| 2004 | 0 | 72.7 | – |
| 2003 | 0 | 65.5 | – |
| 2002 | 0 | 59.4 | – |
| 2001 | 0 | 56.6 | – |
| 2000 | 0 | 44.7 | – |
| 1999 | 0 | 23.6 | – |
| 1998 | 0 | 6.8 | – |
| 1997 | 0 | 3.6 | – |
| 1996 | – | 1.6 | – |
| 1995 | – | 0.8 | – |
| 1994 | – | 0.3 | – |
| 1993 | – | 0.3 | – |
| 1992 | – | 0.1 | – |
| 1991 | – | 0 | – |
| 1990 | 0 | 0 | – |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The share of people who used the internet in the last three months, from anywhere.
- Source: ITU, via the World Bank.
- Ranks count the 182 countries with a value in 2024, highest first.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
North Korea vs South Korea
Health
- Life expectancyNorth Korea: 73.6 years in 2023South Korea: 84.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityNorth Korea: 1.7 per 100 live births in 2024South Korea: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityNorth Korea: 14.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Korea: 2.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterNorth Korea: 66.5% in 2022South Korea: 99.3% in 2022
- DepressionNorth Korea: 3.09% in 2017South Korea: 3.17% in 2017
- Suicide rateNorth Korea: 11.1 per 100,000 people in 2017South Korea: 20.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationNorth Korea: 26.4 million people in 2023South Korea: 51.8 million people in 2023
- Population growthNorth Korea: 0.32% a year in 2023South Korea: -0.04% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateNorth Korea: 1.78 births per woman in 2023South Korea: 0.72 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationNorth Korea: 64.2% in 2025South Korea: 81.2% in 2025
- Median ageNorth Korea: 36.1 years in 2023South Korea: 44.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overNorth Korea: 12% in 2023South Korea: 18.3% in 2023
- Net migration rateNorth Korea: -0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023South Korea: 1.7 per 1,000 people in 2023
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending per personNorth Korea: $62 in 2018South Korea: $924 in 2025
- Armed forces personnelNorth Korea: 1.47 million people in 2020South Korea: 569,000 people in 2020
- National powerNorth Korea: 1.41% of world capability in 2022South Korea: 2% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersNorth Korea: 8.62% of the labour force in 2020South Korea: 2.01% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsNorth Korea: 1 million TIV in 2010South Korea: 222 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsNorth Korea: 44 million TIV in 2025South Korea: 2.02 billion TIV in 2025