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
Matchup file
North Korea vs Russia
81 shared metrics.
Turn the comparison into a round
Think you can spot the next winner?
Russia leads by 37 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.
Russia
Quick notes before you compare the numbers.
Identity
Formal name: Russian Federation.
CIA 2026
Analysis
Russia leads in 59 of 81 shared metrics, while North Korea leads in 22.
North Korea's Population Density is 24.0x that of Russia (219.4 /km² vs 8.8 /km²).
North Korea's Water Stress (%) is 7.6x that of Russia (12.92% vs 1.5%).
North Korea's Renewable Energy (%) is 3.2x that of Russia (14.7% vs 3.5%).
North Korea's Child Mortality is 3.0x that of Russia (18 per 1k births vs 4.5 per 1k births).
North Korea's Infant Mortality is 2.9x that of Russia (14.5 per 1k births vs 3.7 per 1k births).
Key Comparisons
Population DensityNorth Korea leads
North Korea
219.4 /km²
Russia
8.8 /km²
Water Stress (%)North Korea leads
North Korea
12.92%
Russia
1.5%
Renewable Energy (%)North Korea leads
North Korea
14.7%
Russia
3.5%
Child MortalityNorth Korea leads
North Korea
18 per 1k births
Russia
4.5 per 1k births
Infant MortalityNorth Korea leads
North Korea
14.5 per 1k births
Russia
3.7 per 1k births
Air Pollution (PM2.5)North Korea leads
North Korea
29.93 µg/m³
Russia
11.27 µg/m³
All Metrics
Population Density
North KoreaNorth Korea
219.4 /km²
Russia
8.8 /km²
2398% higher
Water Stress (%)
North KoreaNorth Korea
12.92%
Russia
1.5%
760% higher
Renewable Energy (%)
North KoreaNorth Korea
14.7%
Russia
3.5%
320% higher
Child Mortality
North KoreaNorth Korea
18 per 1k births
Russia
4.5 per 1k births
300% higher
Infant Mortality
North KoreaNorth Korea
14.5 per 1k births
Russia
3.7 per 1k births
292% higher
Air Pollution (PM2.5)
North KoreaNorth Korea
29.93 µg/m³
Russia
11.27 µg/m³
165% higher
Solar Electricity Share
North KoreaNorth Korea
0.63%
Russia
0.24%
163% higher
Food Waste per Person
North KoreaNorth Korea
122.73 kg/person/yr
Russia
55.52 kg/person/yr
121% higher
Time Zones Count
North KoreaNorth Korea
2.0 time zones
Russia
1.0 time zones
100% higher
Foreign Patents
RussiaNorth Korea
6.0
Russia
11.4K
100% lower
Air Passengers
RussiaNorth Korea
3.7K
Russia
98.87M
100% lower
Scientific Publications
RussiaNorth Korea
263.49
Russia
84.3K
100% lower
Official Languages Count
North KoreaNorth Korea
2.0
Russia
1.0
100% higher
Forest Area
RussiaNorth Korea
59.7K km²
Russia
8.15M km²
99% lower
Land Area
RussiaNorth Korea
120.4K km²
Russia
16.38M km²
99% lower
Milk Consumption per Person
RussiaNorth Korea
3.8 kg/person/yr
Russia
163.57 kg/person/yr
98% lower
Electricity Generation
RussiaNorth Korea
26.55 TWh
Russia
1.2K TWh
98% lower
Total CO2 Emissions
RussiaNorth Korea
66.24 Mt CO2e
Russia
2.0K Mt CO2e
97% lower
Electric Generating Capacity
RussiaNorth Korea
8.36M kW
Russia
301.93M kW
97% lower
Beer Consumption
RussiaNorth Korea
0.13 L/person/yr
Russia
3.1 L/person/yr
96% lower
Teen Birth Rate
RussiaNorth Korea
0.51 per 1k
Russia
12.97 per 1k
96% lower
Coastline Length
RussiaNorth Korea
2.5K km
Russia
37.7K km
93% lower
Land Border Length
RussiaNorth Korea
1.6K km
Russia
22.4K km
93% lower
Railway Length
RussiaNorth Korea
7.4K km
Russia
85.5K km
91% lower
Merchant Fleet Size
RussiaNorth Korea
264
Russia
2.9K
91% lower
Airports
RussiaNorth Korea
80
Russia
938
91% lower
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
RussiaNorth Korea
3.0 sites
Russia
34 sites
91% lower
Energy Use (Per Capita)
RussiaNorth Korea
640.51 kg oil eq/person
Russia
5.6K kg oil eq/person
89% lower
Electricity Use (Per Capita)
RussiaNorth Korea
829.77 kWh/person
Russia
7.2K kWh/person
88% lower
Water Withdrawal
RussiaNorth Korea
8.7 B m³
Russia
64.82 B m³
87% lower
Mobile Subscriptions (%)
RussiaNorth Korea
24 per 100 people
Russia
186 per 100 people
87% lower
Coal Electricity Share
North KoreaNorth Korea
34.06%
Russia
18.4%
85% higher
Meat Consumption per Person
RussiaNorth Korea
13.67 kg/person/yr
Russia
87.81 kg/person/yr
84% lower
Freedom of Expression Index
RussiaNorth Korea
0.01
Russia
0.08
84% lower
Population
RussiaNorth Korea
26.40M
Russia
140.13M
81% lower
CO2 Per Capita
RussiaNorth Korea
2.4 t/person/yr
Russia
12.29 t/person/yr
81% lower
Protected Land (%)
RussiaNorth Korea
2.4%
Russia
11.5%
79% lower
Border Neighbors
RussiaNorth Korea
3.0
Russia
14
79% lower
Capital Elevation
RussiaNorth Korea
38 m
Russia
156 m
76% lower
Liberal Democracy Index
RussiaNorth Korea
0.01
Russia
0.06
75% lower
Irrigated Land
RussiaNorth Korea
14.6K km²
Russia
43.0K km²
66% lower
Domestic Patents
RussiaNorth Korea
6.9K
Russia
19.6K
65% lower
Agricultural Land (%)
North KoreaNorth Korea
21.55%
Russia
13.17%
64% higher
Alcohol Consumption
RussiaNorth Korea
3.9 L/adult/yr
Russia
10.53 L/adult/yr
63% lower
Obesity Rate
RussiaNorth Korea
10.87%
Russia
28.05%
61% lower
Birth Rate
North KoreaNorth Korea
12.99 per 1k
Russia
8.3 per 1k
57% higher
Suicide Rate
RussiaNorth Korea
9.3 per 100k
Russia
21.37 per 100k
56% lower
Insufficient Physical Activity
North KoreaNorth Korea
26.99% of adults
Russia
17.66% of adults
53% higher
Electoral Democracy Index
RussiaNorth Korea
0.08
Russia
0.17
51% lower
Highest Elevation
RussiaNorth Korea
2.7K m
Russia
5.6K m
51% lower
Seafood Consumption per Person
RussiaNorth Korea
10.96 kg/person/yr
Russia
21.76 kg/person/yr
50% lower
Women's Political Empowerment
RussiaNorth Korea
0.29
Russia
0.55
47% lower
Smoking Rate
RussiaNorth Korea
16.5%
Russia
29.2%
43% lower
Electricity Access (%)
RussiaNorth Korea
57.5%
Russia
100%
42% lower
Tobacco Use Prevalence
RussiaNorth Korea
15.6% of adults
Russia
26.5% of adults
41% lower
Hypertension Prevalence
RussiaNorth Korea
26.9% of adults
Russia
44.3% of adults
39% lower
Death Rate
RussiaNorth Korea
9.0 per 1k
Russia
13.93 per 1k
35% lower
Corruption Perceptions Index
RussiaNorth Korea
15 pts
Russia
22 pts
32% lower
Doctors (per 1,000)
RussiaNorth Korea
3.6 per 1k
Russia
5.1 per 1k
29% lower
Elderly Population (%)
RussiaNorth Korea
12.4%
Russia
17.18%
28% lower
Electricity Carbon Intensity
RussiaNorth Korea
340.59 gCO2/kWh
Russia
449.73 gCO2/kWh
24% lower
Fertility Rate
North KoreaNorth Korea
1.8 children/woman
Russia
1.5 children/woman
18% higher
Urban Population (%)
RussiaNorth Korea
63.86%
Russia
75.11%
15% lower
Political Corruption Index
RussiaNorth Korea
0.67
Russia
0.78
14% lower
Dependency Ratio
RussiaNorth Korea
45.66% of working-age pop.
Russia
52.57% of working-age pop.
13% lower
Safe Drinking Water (%)
RussiaNorth Korea
66.61%
Russia
76.26%
13% lower
Unemployment Rate
North KoreaNorth Korea
2.9%
Russia
2.5%
13% higher
Spirits Consumption
RussiaNorth Korea
2.9 L/person/yr
Russia
3.2 L/person/yr
10% lower
Youth Population (%)
North KoreaNorth Korea
18.95%
Russia
17.28%
10% higher
Median Age
RussiaNorth Korea
36.0 years
Russia
39.5 years
9% lower
Sanitation Access (%)
RussiaNorth Korea
84.82%
Russia
92.22%
8% lower
Women in Parliament (%)
North KoreaNorth Korea
17.61%
Russia
16.44%
7% higher
Youth Unemployment Rate
North KoreaNorth Korea
7.9% of youth labor force
Russia
7.6% of youth labor force
4% higher
Armed Forces Personnel
North KoreaNorth Korea
1.47M
Russia
1.45M
1% higher
Life Expectancy
North KoreaNorth Korea
73.6 years
Russia
73.3 years
1% higher
Wind Electricity Share
RussiaNorth Korea
0%
Russia
0.31%
ranked lower
Forest Coverage (%)
RussiaNorth Korea
49.55%
Russia
49.78%
equal
Nobel Laureates Born per Million People
RussiaNorth Korea
0 per 1M people
Russia
0.19 per 1M people
ranked lower
Lowest Elevation
North KoreaNorth Korea
0 m
Russia
-28 m
ranked higher
EV Chargers per 100,000 People
RussiaNorth Korea
0 per 100k people
Russia
1.1 per 100k people
ranked lower
McDonald's Outlets per Million People
RussiaNorth Korea
0 per 1M people
Russia
0.39 per 1M people
ranked lower
Build a Matchup
1 country match available.
vs1 country match available.
Next move