Korea, Democratic People’s Republic of

East Asia & Pacific·Low income

Population: 26.4M; 55th of 217
Life expectancy: 73.6; 116th of 217

Benchmarked against

American Samoa

Australia

Brunei Darussalam

China

Default peers are drawn from region, income, and bloc membership — swap in any country you like. The gray tick on each strip is the world median.

one of the last centrally planned economies; hard hit by COVID-19, crop failures, international sanctions, and isolationist policies; declining growth and trade, and heavily reliant on China; poor exchange rate stability; economic data integrity issues

Area: 120,538 km²
Resources: coal, iron ore, limestone, magnesite, graphite, copper, zinc, lead, precious metals…
Borders: China 1,352 km; South Korea; Russia

Religion

who identifies with what, 2020

world view →

Unaffiliated72.9%
Other25.2%
Buddhist1.5%

Religious diversity: 4.73 / 10 · moderate · 61st of 193

Change markers show percentage-point shifts from 2010 to 2020 · Pew Research Center, Religious Composition 2010–2020.

Score card

quartile grades among all countries with data

A · Top quartileB · Above medianC · Below medianD · Bottom quartile

Topic

PRK

ASM

AUS

BRN

FDI inflows

current US$

$203,000–––

Unemployment

% of labor force

–––

Population

people

26.4M–––

Population density

people per km²

218.7–––

Urban population

% of total

63.2%–––

Life expectancy

years at birth

–––

Fertility rate

births per woman

1.8–––

Net migration

people

-2,473–––

Population under 15

% of total

18.9%–––

Population 65+

% of total

12.4%–––

Infant mortality

per 1,000 live births

–––

Under-5 mortality

per 1,000 live births

–––

Physicians

per 1,000 people

–––

Adult literacy

% ages 15+

–––

Tertiary enrollment

% gross

–––

Safe drinking water

% of population

–––

Internet users

% of population

–––

Mobile subscriptions

per 100 people

–––

Secure internet servers

per 1M people

–––

Access to electricity

% of population

–––

Energy use per capita

kWh

6,984–––

Electricity per capita

kWh

1,008.4–––

Electricity generation

TWh

26.6–––

Renewable electricity

% of generation

–––

Fossil electricity

% of generation

–––

CO₂ emissions

Mt per year

–––

CO₂ per capita

t per person

–––

Share of global CO₂

0.2%–––

GHG per capita

t CO₂e per person

–––

Electoral democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Liberal democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Corruption perceptions

CPI, 0–100

–––

Control of corruption

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Government effectiveness

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Rule of law

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Political stability

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Women's political empowerment

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Religious diversity

Pew RDI, 0–10

4.73–––

Religiously unaffiliated

% of population

72.9%–––

Global Peace Index

1–5

–––

Economy & Trade

Output, growth, prices, and openness

theme overview →

FDI inflows

current US$

#177/201

$203,0001989

Unemployment

% of labor force

#33/187

2.8%latest

People & Society

Population structure, urbanization, and migration

theme overview →

Population

people

#55/217

26.4Mlatest

Population density

people per km²

#63/216

218.7latest

Urban population

% of total

#110/215

63.2%latest

Life expectancy

years at birth

#116/217

73.6latest

Fertility rate

births per woman

#121/217

1.8latest

Net migration

people

#127/217

-2,4732024

Population under 15

% of total

#133/217

18.9%2024

Population 65+

% of total

#78/217

12.4%2024

Health & Education

Longevity, mortality, learning, and public spending

theme overview →

Infant mortality

per 1,000 live births

#108/196

14.5latest

Under-5 mortality

per 1,000 live births

#110/196

18latest

Physicians

per 1,000 people

#34/195

3.7latest

Adult literacy

% ages 15+

#9/160

100%latest

Tertiary enrollment

% gross

#119/194

27.2%latest

Safe drinking water

% of population

#90/139

66.5%latest

Connectivity

Internet, mobile, and digital infrastructure

theme overview →

Internet users

% of population

#210/210

0%latest

Mobile subscriptions

per 100 people

#212/214

24.12022

Secure internet servers

per 1M people

#207/215

10.42024

Access to electricity

% of population

#186/215

57.5%latest

Energy & Climate

Energy use, electricity mix, and emissions

theme overview →

Energy use per capita

kWh

#129/198

6,9842023

Electricity per capita

kWh

#135/202

1,008.42022

Electricity generation

TWh

#74/202

26.62022

Renewable electricity

% of generation

#54/202

63.1%2022

Fossil electricity

% of generation

#65/202

36.9%2022

CO₂ emissions

Mt per year

#154/204

62.62024

CO₂ per capita

t per person

#90/204

2.42024

Share of global CO₂

#51/204

0.2%2024

GHG per capita

t CO₂e per person

#60/193

3.12023

Governance & Democracy

Democratic institutions, corruption, and rule of law

theme overview →

Electoral democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

#168/172

0.0872022

Liberal democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

#172/172

0.012022

Corruption perceptions

CPI, 0–100

#173/178

172022

Control of corruption

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#188/193

-1.612022

Government effectiveness

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#178/193

-1.462022

Rule of law

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#183/193

-1.662022

Political stability

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#130/193

-0.4122022

Women's political empowerment

V-Dem, 0–1

#166/172

0.3022022

Values & Beliefs

What people hold sacred, permit, and pass on — from 40 years of World Values Survey interviews

theme overview →

Religious diversity

Pew RDI, 0–10

#61/193

4.732020

Religiously unaffiliated

% of population

#2/193

72.9%2020

Development & Wellbeing

Composite measures of how life is going

theme overview →

Global Peace Index

1–5

#145/158

2.852023

Explore any measure in depth on its own page — try GDP per capita or electoral democracy.