China
Quick notes before you compare the numbers.
Identity
Formal name: People's Republic of China.
CIA 2026
Curated stat
China's population began shrinking in 2022, its first annual decline in about six decades.
Matchup file
China vs North Korea
80 shared metrics.
Turn the comparison into a round
Think you can spot the next winner?
China leads by 44 metrics. Use the same instinct in a quick real-data brawl.
Country briefing
What matters for both sides
Short real-world notes so the comparison reads like more than a stat strip.
North Korea
Quick notes before you compare the numbers.
Identity
Formal name: Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
CIA 2026
Curated stat
North Korea has tightly restricted internet access; most people are not using the open web.
CIA
Analysis
China leads in 62 of 80 shared metrics, while North Korea leads in 18.
China's Air Passengers is 167808.2x that of North Korea (619.22M vs 3.7K).
China's Foreign Patents is 26502.2x that of North Korea (159.0K vs 6.0).
China's Scientific Publications is 3410.7x that of North Korea (898.9K vs 263.49).
China's Electricity Generation is 378.4x that of North Korea (10.1K TWh vs 26.55 TWh).
China's Electric Generating Capacity is 351.9x that of North Korea (2.95B kW vs 8.36M kW).
Key Comparisons
Air PassengersChina leads
China
619.22M
North Korea
3.7K
Foreign PatentsChina leads
China
159.0K
North Korea
6.0
Scientific PublicationsChina leads
China
898.9K
North Korea
263.49
Electricity GenerationChina leads
China
10.1K TWh
North Korea
26.55 TWh
Electric Generating CapacityChina leads
China
2.95B kW
North Korea
8.36M kW
Domestic PatentsChina leads
China
1.43M
North Korea
6.9K
All Metrics
Air Passengers
ChinaChina
619.22M
North Korea
3.7K
16780818% higher
Foreign Patents
ChinaChina
159.0K
North Korea
6.0
2650217% higher
Scientific Publications
ChinaChina
898.9K
North Korea
263.49
341070% higher
Electricity Generation
ChinaChina
10.1K TWh
North Korea
26.55 TWh
37838% higher
Electric Generating Capacity
ChinaChina
2.95B kW
North Korea
8.36M kW
35188% higher
Domestic Patents
ChinaChina
1.43M
North Korea
6.9K
20466% higher
Total CO2 Emissions
ChinaChina
13.1K Mt CO2e
North Korea
66.24 Mt CO2e
19714% higher
Land Area
ChinaChina
9.39M km²
North Korea
120.4K km²
7697% higher
Water Withdrawal
ChinaChina
568.48 B m³
North Korea
8.7 B m³
6466% higher
Population
ChinaChina
1.41B
North Korea
26.40M
5230% higher
Irrigated Land
ChinaChina
690.1K km²
North Korea
14.6K km²
4627% higher
Forest Area
ChinaChina
2.26M km²
North Korea
59.7K km²
3681% higher
Merchant Fleet Size
ChinaChina
8.3K
North Korea
264
3049% higher
Railway Length
ChinaChina
150.0K km
North Korea
7.4K km
1917% higher
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
ChinaChina
60 sites
North Korea
3.0 sites
1900% higher
Solar Electricity Share
ChinaChina
11.1%
North Korea
0.63%
1662% higher
Land Border Length
ChinaChina
22.5K km
North Korea
1.6K km
1297% higher
Teen Birth Rate
ChinaChina
5.2 per 1k
North Korea
0.51 per 1k
921% higher
Milk Consumption per Person
ChinaChina
32.66 kg/person/yr
North Korea
3.8 kg/person/yr
762% higher
Beer Consumption
ChinaChina
1.1 L/person/yr
North Korea
0.13 L/person/yr
754% higher
Electricity Use (Per Capita)
ChinaChina
6.5K kWh/person
North Korea
829.77 kWh/person
686% higher
Airports
ChinaChina
571
North Korea
80
614% higher
Protected Land (%)
ChinaChina
15.6%
North Korea
2.4%
550% higher
Coastline Length
ChinaChina
14.5K km
North Korea
2.5K km
481% higher
Mobile Subscriptions (%)
ChinaChina
132 per 100 people
North Korea
24 per 100 people
450% higher
Border Neighbors
ChinaChina
16
North Korea
3.0
433% higher
Energy Use (Per Capita)
ChinaChina
2.9K kg oil eq/person
North Korea
640.51 kg oil eq/person
345% higher
Meat Consumption per Person
ChinaChina
60.6 kg/person/yr
North Korea
13.67 kg/person/yr
343% higher
Seafood Consumption per Person
ChinaChina
40.33 kg/person/yr
North Korea
10.96 kg/person/yr
268% higher
CO2 Per Capita
ChinaChina
8.7 t/person/yr
North Korea
2.4 t/person/yr
267% higher
Freedom of Expression Index
ChinaChina
0.04
North Korea
0.01
246% higher
Highest Elevation
ChinaChina
8.8K m
North Korea
2.7K m
222% higher
Corruption Perceptions Index
ChinaChina
43 pts
North Korea
15 pts
187% higher
Liberal Democracy Index
ChinaChina
0.04
North Korea
0.01
179% higher
Agricultural Land (%)
ChinaChina
55.43%
North Korea
21.55%
157% higher
Women's Political Empowerment
ChinaChina
0.59
North Korea
0.29
102% higher
Time Zones Count
ChinaChina
4.0 time zones
North Korea
2.0 time zones
100% higher
Youth Unemployment Rate
ChinaChina
15.79% of youth labor force
North Korea
7.9% of youth labor force
100% higher
Electricity Access (%)
ChinaChina
100%
North Korea
57.5%
74% higher
Armed Forces Personnel
ChinaChina
2.54M
North Korea
1.47M
73% higher
Infant Mortality
North KoreaChina
4.5 per 1k births
North Korea
14.5 per 1k births
69% lower
Child Mortality
North KoreaChina
6.2 per 1k births
North Korea
18 per 1k births
66% lower
Coal Electricity Share
ChinaChina
54.35%
North Korea
34.06%
60% higher
Unemployment Rate
ChinaChina
4.6%
North Korea
2.9%
60% higher
Water Stress (%)
ChinaChina
20.21%
North Korea
12.92%
56% higher
Electricity Carbon Intensity
ChinaChina
525.34 gCO2/kWh
North Korea
340.59 gCO2/kWh
54% higher
Forest Coverage (%)
North KoreaChina
24.03%
North Korea
49.55%
52% lower
Women in Parliament (%)
ChinaChina
26.54%
North Korea
17.61%
51% higher
Official Languages Count
North KoreaChina
1.0
North Korea
2.0
50% lower
Tobacco Use Prevalence
ChinaChina
22.7% of adults
North Korea
15.6% of adults
46% higher
Birth Rate
North KoreaChina
7.3 per 1k
North Korea
12.99 per 1k
44% lower
Smoking Rate
ChinaChina
23.4%
North Korea
16.5%
42% higher
Fertility Rate
North KoreaChina
1.2 children/woman
North Korea
1.8 children/woman
33% lower
Population Density
North KoreaChina
150.26 /km²
North Korea
219.4 /km²
32% lower
Obesity Rate
North KoreaChina
8.2%
North Korea
10.87%
24% lower
Alcohol Consumption
ChinaChina
4.6 L/adult/yr
North Korea
3.9 L/adult/yr
18% higher
Elderly Population (%)
ChinaChina
14.67%
North Korea
12.4%
18% higher
Political Corruption Index
North KoreaChina
0.55
North Korea
0.67
17% lower
Air Pollution (PM2.5)
ChinaChina
34.81 µg/m³
North Korea
29.93 µg/m³
16% higher
Youth Population (%)
North KoreaChina
16.01%
North Korea
18.95%
16% lower
Sanitation Access (%)
ChinaChina
97.27%
North Korea
84.82%
15% higher
Food Waste per Person
ChinaChina
141.64 kg/person/yr
North Korea
122.73 kg/person/yr
15% higher
Doctors (per 1,000)
North KoreaChina
3.1 per 1k
North Korea
3.6 per 1k
14% lower
Spirits Consumption
North KoreaChina
2.5 L/person/yr
North Korea
2.9 L/person/yr
13% lower
Electoral Democracy Index
North KoreaChina
0.07
North Korea
0.08
13% lower
Capital Elevation
ChinaChina
43 m
North Korea
38 m
13% higher
Death Rate
North KoreaChina
8.0 per 1k
North Korea
9.0 per 1k
12% lower
Insufficient Physical Activity
North KoreaChina
23.84% of adults
North Korea
26.99% of adults
12% lower
Median Age
ChinaChina
39.1 years
North Korea
36.0 years
8% higher
Life Expectancy
ChinaChina
78.0 years
North Korea
73.6 years
6% higher
Suicide Rate
North KoreaChina
8.9 per 100k
North Korea
9.3 per 100k
4% lower
Dependency Ratio
North KoreaChina
44.24% of working-age pop.
North Korea
45.66% of working-age pop.
3% lower
Renewable Energy (%)
ChinaChina
15.2%
North Korea
14.7%
3% higher
Urban Population (%)
ChinaChina
65.89%
North Korea
63.86%
3% higher
Hypertension Prevalence
ChinaChina
27.3% of adults
North Korea
26.9% of adults
1% higher
Wind Electricity Share
ChinaChina
10.73%
North Korea
0%
ranked higher
Nobel Laureates Born per Million People
ChinaChina
0.01 per 1M people
North Korea
0 per 1M people
ranked higher
Lowest Elevation
North KoreaChina
-154 m
North Korea
0 m
ranked lower
EV Chargers per 100,000 People
ChinaChina
0.22 per 100k people
North Korea
0 per 100k people
ranked higher
McDonald's Outlets per Million People
ChinaChina
1.6 per 1M people
North Korea
0 per 1M people
ranked higher
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