North Korea vs South Korea: Urban population

Urban population in 2025: 64.2% in North Korea and 81.2% in South Korea, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Korea, by 17 percentage points, or 1.26 times that in North Korea.

Watch it change on the map

% of people · UN

North KoreaSouth KoreaUN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025)

What the numbers say

South Korea has been higher since 1981, when it overtook North Korea.
In 2025, North Korea ranked 116 and South Korea ranked 59 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts North Korea at 75.9% and South Korea at 83.3% in 2050.

Every year

% of people · UN

Year	North Korea	South Korea
2025	64.2	81.2
2024	63.9	81.2
2023	63.5	81.2
2022	63.2	81.2
2021	62.9	81.2
2020	62.6	81.2
2019	62.4	81.3
2018	62.1	81.4
2017	61.8	81.5
2016	61.6	81.6
2015	61.3	81.6
2014	61.1	81.7
2013	60.9	81.8
2012	60.7	81.9
2011	60.5	82
2010	60.3	82
2009	60.2	81.9
2008	60	81.8
2007	59.9	81.7
2006	59.8	81.6
2005	59.8	81.4
2004	59.7	81.1
2003	59.6	80.7
2002	59.5	80.3
2001	59.5	79.9
2000	59.4	79.6
1999	59.4	79.4
1998	59.3	79.2
1997	59.2	79
1996	59.2	78.8
1995	59.1	78.4
1994	59	77.9
1993	58.9	77.1
1992	58.8	76.2
1991	58.6	75.2
1990	58.4	74
1989	58.3	72.5
1988	58.1	70.6
1987	57.9	68.6
1986	57.7	66.6
1985	57.5	64.8
1984	57.4	63.2
1983	57.2	61.5
1982	57.1	60
1981	57	58.3
1980	56.9	56.7
1979	56.9	54.9
1978	56.8	53.1
1977	56.8	51.3
1976	56.8	49.6
1975	56.7	48
1974	56.5	46.5
1973	56.1	45.2
1972	55.6	43.8
1971	54.9	42.4
1970	54.2	40.7
1969	53.3	38.7
1968	52	36.5
1967	50.5	34.6
1966	49	33.1
1965	47.5	32
1964	46.2	31
1963	45	30.1
1962	43.7	29.2
1961	42.3	28.5
1960	40.6	27.7
1959	38.5	27
1958	35.8	26.3
1957	32.6	25.7
1956	29	25.1
1955	24.5	24.4
1954	18.8	23.6
1953	12.4	22.9
1952	8.9	22.1
1951	6	21.3
1950	4	20.6

UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050

Year	North Korea	South Korea
2026	64.5	81.2
2027	64.9	81.2
2028	65.2	81.2
2029	65.6	81.2
2030	66	81.3
2031	66.4	81.3
2032	66.8	81.3
2033	67.2	81.4
2034	67.6	81.4
2035	68.1	81.4
2036	68.5	81.5
2037	69	81.6
2038	69.4	81.6
2039	69.9	81.7
2040	70.4	81.8
2041	70.9	81.9
2042	71.4	82
2043	72	82.1
2044	72.5	82.3
2045	73	82.4
2046	73.6	82.6
2047	74.2	82.7
2048	74.7	82.9
2049	75.3	83.1
2050	75.9	83.3

Each country on its own

Good to know

The share of people living in places the country itself counts as urban.
Source: UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025.
The dashed line is the UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025), a scenario rather than a forecast.
Ranks count the 229 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.

How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time

North Korea vs South Korea: Urban population

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

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