Ireland vs North Korea: Rural population (% of total population) (Rural World Urbanization)
Ireland
35.4%
in 2025
North Korea
35.8%
in 2025
Ireland rank
111th
North Korea rank
110th
Rural population (% of total population) (Rural World Urbanization) over time
- Ireland
- North Korea
How they compare
North Korea currently reports 35.8% against 35.4% in Ireland, a difference of 0.4%.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was North Korea ahead.
Ireland ranks 111th and North Korea ranks 110th of 218 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Ireland averaged higher in 3 and North Korea in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ireland | North Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 51.9% | 53.0% | 1.1% | North Korea |
| 1970s | 46.3% | 43.9% | 2.5% | Ireland |
| 1980s | 43.8% | 42.5% | 1.3% | Ireland |
| 1990s | 42.2% | 41.0% | 1.1% | Ireland |
| 2000s | 39.6% | 40.3% | 0.6% | North Korea |
| 2010s | 37.4% | 38.7% | 1.3% | North Korea |
| 2020s | 36.0% | 36.6% | 0.6% | North Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher rural population, Ireland or North Korea?
- North Korea, at 35.8% against 35.4% in Ireland as of 2025.
- What is the difference in rural population between Ireland and North Korea?
- 0.4%, with North Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ireland and North Korea?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do Ireland and North Korea rank globally for rural population?
- Ireland ranks 111th and North Korea ranks 110th of 218 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population.