Rural population, per square kilometre in North Korea
North Korea: Rural population, per square kilometre was 80 units per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
80 units per square kilometre
Change on year
down 0.5%
World rank
36th
of 215 countries
All-time high
82.37 units per square kilometre
in 2010
All-time low
57.3 units per square kilometre
in 1962
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Rural population, per square kilometre in North Korea, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per square kilometre.
Analysis
North Korea recorded 80 units per square kilometre for rural population, per square kilometre in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.5% on the previous year and down 2.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population, per square kilometre in North Korea peaked at 82.37 units per square kilometre in 2010 and was at its lowest, 57.3 units per square kilometre, in 1962.
North Korea ranks 36th of 215 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Rural population, per square kilometre in North Korea, year by year
| Year | units per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 57.45 units per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 57.3 units per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 1963 | 57.4 units per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1964 | 57.57 units per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 1965 | 57.64 units per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 1966 | 57.53 units per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1967 | 57.4 units per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1968 | 57.3 units per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1969 | 57.33 units per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 57.71 units per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 1971 | 58.31 units per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 1972 | 58.95 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1973 | 59.59 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1974 | 60.22 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1975 | 61.03 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1976 | 61.92 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1977 | 62.77 units per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1978 | 63.6 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1979 | 64.44 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1980 | 65.28 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1981 | 66.11 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1982 | 66.93 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1983 | 67.71 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1984 | 68.47 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1985 | 69.21 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1986 | 69.94 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1987 | 70.67 units per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 1988 | 71.39 units per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 1989 | 72.12 units per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 1990 | 72.88 units per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 1991 | 73.68 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1992 | 74.52 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1993 | 75.39 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1994 | 76.29 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1995 | 77.06 units per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 77.67 units per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 1997 | 78.26 units per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 1998 | 78.81 units per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 1999 | 79.31 units per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 79.76 units per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 80.14 units per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 80.45 units per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 80.82 units per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 81.23 units per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 81.55 units per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 81.81 units per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 82.02 units per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 82.2 units per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 82.33 units per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 82.37 units per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 82.37 units per square kilometre | -0.0% |
| 2012 | 82.33 units per square kilometre | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 82.28 units per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 82.24 units per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 82.15 units per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 82.02 units per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 81.86 units per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 81.66 units per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 81.41 units per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 81.1 units per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 2021 | 80.77 units per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 2022 | 80.41 units per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 80 units per square kilometre | -0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 57.43 units per square kilometre | 57.3 units per square kilometre | 57.64 units per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 60.85 units per square kilometre | 57.71 units per square kilometre | 64.44 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 68.78 units per square kilometre | 65.28 units per square kilometre | 72.12 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 76.38 units per square kilometre | 72.88 units per square kilometre | 79.31 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 81.23 units per square kilometre | 79.76 units per square kilometre | 82.33 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 82.07 units per square kilometre | 81.41 units per square kilometre | 82.37 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 80.57 units per square kilometre | 80 units per square kilometre | 81.1 units per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
- 33 Nigeria 94.64 units per square kilometre compare
- 34 Ethiopia 87.74 units per square kilometre compare
- 35 Togo 85.81 units per square kilometre compare
- 37 El Salvador 77.32 units per square kilometre compare
- 38 Malta 75.53 units per square kilometre compare
- 39 Sao Tome and Principe 75.5 units per square kilometre compare
More agriculture & rural data for North Korea
- Rural population 35.8% (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3581 units per person (2025)
- Rural population growth -0.6% (2025)
- Rural population 9.52 million (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.6454 % change on previous year (2025)
- Land under cereal production 1.35 million hectares (2024)
- Cereal production 4.89 million metric tons (2024)
- Cereal yield vs. GDP per capita 3.61 kg per hectare (2024)
- Aquaculture production 685,700 metric tons (2024)
- Seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture 685,700 metric tons (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population, per square kilometre in North Korea?
- Rural population, per square kilometre in North Korea was 80 units per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest rural population, per square kilometre recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 82.37 units per square kilometre in 2010.
- What is the lowest rural population, per square kilometre recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 57.3 units per square kilometre in 1962.
- How does North Korea rank for rural population, per square kilometre?
- North Korea ranks 36th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is rural population, per square kilometre rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this North Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Rural population, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Rural population divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Rural population ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Rural population World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN)
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Rural population divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.