North Korea vs South Africa: Rural population (% of total population) (Rural World Urbanization)
North Korea
35.8%
in 2025
South Africa
36.2%
in 2025
North Korea rank
110th
South Africa rank
108th
Rural population (% of total population) (Rural World Urbanization) over time
- North Korea
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 36.2% against 35.8% in North Korea, a difference of 0.4%.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was North Korea ahead.
North Korea ranks 110th and South Africa ranks 108th of 218 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, North Korea averaged higher in 3 and South Africa in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | North Korea | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 53.0% | 52.7% | 0.3% | North Korea |
| 1970s | 43.9% | 52.0% | 8.1% | South Africa |
| 1980s | 42.5% | 50.6% | 8.1% | South Africa |
| 1990s | 41.0% | 46.6% | 5.6% | South Africa |
| 2000s | 40.3% | 40.6% | 0.3% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 38.7% | 36.9% | 1.9% | North Korea |
| 2020s | 36.6% | 36.4% | 0.2% | North Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher rural population, North Korea or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 36.2% against 35.8% in North Korea as of 2025.
- What is the difference in rural population between North Korea and South Africa?
- 0.4%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for North Korea and South Africa?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do North Korea and South Africa rank globally for rural population?
- North Korea ranks 110th and South Africa ranks 108th 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.