PRK · KP · United Nations WPP 2024 · 2026
Dem. People's Republic of Korea
Dem. People's Republic of Korea had a population of 26,633,691 people in 2026, ranking 56 of 237 countries and areas. Explore its age pyramid, trends and demographic indicators.
Source: United Nations World Population Prospects 2024, medium variant.
- Total population
- 26,633,691 people 2026 · Projection
- Rank
- #56/ 237 Asia #21 / 51
- Share of world population
- 0.32% 2026
- Density
- 221.2 people/km² 2026
- Median age
- 36.8 years
- Life expectancy
- 73.98 years
Country or area overview
Dem. People's Republic of Korea is in Asia. In 2026, its population was 26,633,691 people, about 0.32% of the world total. It ranks #56 of 237 countries and areas worldwide. The population was 11,116,736 people in 1950 and is projected to reach 19,512,149 people in 2100. The annual population growth rate in 2026 is 0.22%. The median age is 36.8. 18.9% of the population is under 15 and 13.0% is 65 or older. Life expectancy is 73.98 and the total fertility rate is 1.75. Within Asia, it ranks #21 of 51 by population and #20 of 51 by population density. Data note This page uses the UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium variant. Data for 1950–2023 are estimates; 2024 onward, including 2026, are projections. Values for 2100 are long-range projections.
Dem. People's Republic of Korea map
Country outline and its location in the world.
World location
Boundaries: Natural Earth 1:50m.
Population history and projection
Population from 1950 to 2100. The dashed section shows the UN medium-variant projection from 2024 onward.
Age group · 2026
Population age pyramid
Male and female population by five-year age group. Move the year slider to compare 1950, today and the 2100 projection.
Age-group data
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 861,678 | 814,501 | 1,676,179 | 6.29% |
| 5–9 | 876,006 | 830,049 | 1,706,055 | 6.41% |
| 10–14 | 845,898 | 803,716 | 1,649,614 | 6.19% |
| 15–19 | 830,105 | 791,093 | 1,621,198 | 6.09% |
| 20–24 | 869,346 | 832,833 | 1,702,179 | 6.39% |
| 25–29 | 968,441 | 931,774 | 1,900,215 | 7.13% |
| 30–34 | 1,008,563 | 975,856 | 1,984,419 | 7.45% |
| 35–39 | 956,927 | 932,566 | 1,889,493 | 7.09% |
| 40–44 | 889,427 | 872,482 | 1,761,909 | 6.62% |
| 45–49 | 801,067 | 792,977 | 1,594,044 | 5.99% |
| 50–54 | 956,194 | 962,142 | 1,918,336 | 7.20% |
| 55–59 | 1,045,876 | 1,075,056 | 2,120,932 | 7.96% |
| 60–64 | 797,957 | 846,189 | 1,644,146 | 6.17% |
| 65–69 | 633,459 | 703,861 | 1,337,320 | 5.02% |
| 70–74 | 358,303 | 427,147 | 785,450 | 2.95% |
| 75–79 | 266,089 | 380,281 | 646,370 | 2.43% |
| 80–84 | 158,076 | 279,998 | 438,074 | 1.64% |
| 85–89 | 59,493 | 142,206 | 201,699 | 0.76% |
| 90–94 | 10,881 | 38,370 | 49,251 | 0.18% |
| 95–99 | 887 | 5,467 | 6,354 | 0.02% |
| 100+ | 38 | 413 | 451 | 0.00% |
Demographic indicators
UN WPP 2024 indicators for 2026.
| Indicator | 2026 | Projection for 2100 | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 26,633,691 people | 19,512,149 people | people |
| Male population | 13,194,709 people | 9,824,270 people | people |
| Female population | 13,438,982 people | 9,687,879 people | people |
| Population density | 221.2 people/km² | 162.0 people/km² | people/km² |
| Sex ratio | 98.2 | 101.4 | males per 100 females |
| Median age | 36.8 | 48.6 | years |
| Natural change | 60,709 | -125,826 | people |
| Natural change rate | 2.28 ‰ | -6.45 ‰ | ‰ |
| Population change | 57,900 | -127,984 | people |
| Population growth rate | 0.22% | -0.66% | % |
| Population doubling time | — | — | years |
| Births | 328,497 people | 157,663 people | people |
| Births to women aged 15–19 | 386 | 203 | people |
| Birth rate | 12.33 ‰ | 8.08 ‰ | ‰ |
| Total fertility rate | 1.75 | 1.64 | children per woman |
| Net reproduction rate | 0.824 | 0.788 | |
| Mean age at childbearing | 28.80 | 29.96 | years |
| Sex ratio at birth | 106.0 | 106.0 | males per 100 females |
| Deaths | 267,788 people | 283,489 people | people |
| Male deaths | 131,191 | 142,425 | people |
| Female deaths | 136,596 | 141,064 | people |
| Death rate | 10.05 ‰ | 14.53 ‰ | ‰ |
| Life expectancy at birth | 73.98 | 83.78 | years |
| Male life expectancy at birth | 71.77 | 82.47 | years |
| Female life expectancy at birth | 76.16 | 85.15 | years |
| Life expectancy at age 15 | 60.57 | 69.43 | years |
| Life expectancy at age 65 | 16.03 | 21.96 | years |
| Life expectancy at age 80 | 6.76 | 10.33 | years |
| Infant deaths | 4,217 | 767 | people |
| Infant mortality rate | 12.81 ‰ | 4.86 ‰ | ‰ |
| Survivors to age 1 | 324,809 | 157,004 | people |
| Deaths under age 5 | 5,342 | 986 | people |
| Under-5 mortality rate | 16.10 ‰ | 6.23 ‰ | ‰ |
| Net migration | -2,809 | -2,151 | people |
| Net migration rate | -0.11 ‰ | -0.11 ‰ | ‰ |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the population of Dem. People's Republic of Korea?
- In 2026, Dem. People's Republic of Korea had a population of 26,633,691 people. It ranks #56 of 237 countries and areas worldwide.
- How has the population of Dem. People's Republic of Korea changed?
- The population was 11,116,736 people in 1950 and is projected to reach 19,512,149 people in 2100.
- What is the age structure of Dem. People's Republic of Korea?
- The median age is 36.8. 18.9% of the population is under 15 and 13.0% is 65 or older.
- How does Dem. People's Republic of Korea compare within Asia?
- By total population, Dem. People's Republic of Korea ranks #21 of 51 in Asia and #56 of 237 worldwide.
Estimates cover 1950–2023; 2024 and later are UN medium-variant projections. Rankings use the latest available value for the selected year. The world total is the sum of all countries and areas in the dataset.