Compare countries
South Korea vs. North Korea
How South Korea and North Korea compare on income per person, population, life expectancy, internet use and access to electricity, each next to the world figure and linked to its chart, where you'll find its source, its date and every country's numbers.
The biggest differences
- The population is 95% larger in South Korea (51.7M people) than in North Korea (26.6M).
- The share of people with electricity is 38.6 percentage points higher in South Korea (100%) than in North Korea (61.4%).
- Life expectancy at birth is 9.9 years longer in South Korea (83.6 years) than in North Korea (73.7).
Side by side
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How many people live in each country?
People · 2025
- South Korea
- 51.7M people
- North Korea
- 26.6M people
- World
- 8.22B people
-
How long do people live in each country?
Life expectancy at birth, years · 2024
- South Korea
- 83.6 years
- North Korea
- 73.7 years
- World
- 73.5 years
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What share of people have electricity in each country?
People with access to electricity, % of population · 2024
- South Korea
- 100%
- North Korea
- 61.4%
- World
- 91.9%
Figures are from the World Bank's World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0), for the newest year most countries have reported; many are estimates, and they are revised as new data comes in. GDP per person is in US dollars at each year's exchange rates, not adjusted for differences in prices. Two figures are called about the same when GDP or population differ by less than 5%, life expectancy by less than a year, or a share by less than 2 percentage points.