North Korea vs South Sudan: Rural population
North Korea
9.52 million
in 2025
South Sudan
9.55 million
in 2025
North Korea rank
58th
South Sudan rank
57th
Rural population over time
- North Korea
- South Sudan
How they compare
South Sudan currently reports 9.55 million against 9.52 million in North Korea, a difference of 30,590.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was North Korea ahead.
North Korea ranks 58th and South Sudan ranks 57th of 217 countries.
North Korea has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | North Korea | South Sudan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 6.92 million | 2.88 million | 4.04 million | North Korea |
| 1970s | 7.33 million | 3.47 million | 3.86 million | North Korea |
| 1980s | 8.28 million | 4.26 million | 4.03 million | North Korea |
| 1990s | 9.20 million | 4.44 million | 4.75 million | North Korea |
| 2000s | 9.78 million | 6.25 million | 3.53 million | North Korea |
| 2010s | 9.88 million | 8.61 million | 1.27 million | North Korea |
| 2020s | 9.65 million | 8.98 million | 664,647 | North Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher rural population, North Korea or South Sudan?
- South Sudan, at 9.55 million against 9.52 million in North Korea as of 2025.
- What is the difference in rural population between North Korea and South Sudan?
- 30,590, with South Sudan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for North Korea and South Sudan?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do North Korea and South Sudan rank globally for rural population?
- North Korea ranks 58th and South Sudan ranks 57th of 217 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as Rural 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. Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverages.