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 South Korea
81 shared metrics.
Turn the comparison into a round
Think you can spot the next winner?
South Korea leads by 25 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.
South Korea
Quick notes before you compare the numbers.
Identity
Formal name: Republic of Korea.
CIA 2026
Curated stat
South Korea transformed from an aid recipient into a high-income World Bank partner within decades.
Analysis
South Korea leads in 53 of 81 shared metrics, while North Korea leads in 28.
North Korea's Spirits Consumption is 15.4x that of South Korea (2.9 L/person/yr vs 0.17 L/person/yr).
North Korea's Land Border Length is 5.8x that of South Korea (1.6K km vs 237 km).
North Korea's Child Mortality is 5.4x that of South Korea (18 per 1k births vs 2.8 per 1k births).
North Korea's Infant Mortality is 5.3x that of South Korea (14.5 per 1k births vs 2.3 per 1k births).
North Korea's Political Corruption Index is 3.3x that of South Korea (0.67 vs 0.16).
Key Comparisons
Spirits ConsumptionNorth Korea leads
North Korea
2.9 L/person/yr
South Korea
0.17 L/person/yr
Land Border LengthNorth Korea leads
North Korea
1.6K km
South Korea
237 km
Child MortalityNorth Korea leads
North Korea
18 per 1k births
South Korea
2.8 per 1k births
Infant MortalityNorth Korea leads
North Korea
14.5 per 1k births
South Korea
2.3 per 1k births
Political Corruption IndexNorth Korea leads
North Korea
0.67
South Korea
0.16
Renewable Energy (%)North Korea leads
North Korea
14.7%
South Korea
3.6%
All Metrics
Spirits Consumption
North KoreaNorth Korea
2.9 L/person/yr
South Korea
0.17 L/person/yr
1538% higher
Land Border Length
North KoreaNorth Korea
1.6K km
South Korea
237 km
578% higher
Child Mortality
North KoreaNorth Korea
18 per 1k births
South Korea
2.8 per 1k births
543% higher
Infant Mortality
North KoreaNorth Korea
14.5 per 1k births
South Korea
2.3 per 1k births
530% higher
Political Corruption Index
North KoreaNorth Korea
0.67
South Korea
0.16
329% higher
Renewable Energy (%)
North KoreaNorth Korea
14.7%
South Korea
3.6%
308% higher
Birth Rate
North KoreaNorth Korea
12.99 per 1k
South Korea
4.3 per 1k
203% higher
Border Neighbors
North KoreaNorth Korea
3.0
South Korea
1.0
200% higher
Fertility Rate
North KoreaNorth Korea
1.8 children/woman
South Korea
0.68 children/woman
165% higher
Armed Forces Personnel
North KoreaNorth Korea
1.47M
South Korea
569.0K
158% higher
Foreign Patents
South KoreaNorth Korea
6.0
South Korea
51.8K
100% lower
Air Passengers
South KoreaNorth Korea
3.7K
South Korea
76.27M
100% lower
Scientific Publications
South KoreaNorth Korea
263.49
South Korea
76.9K
100% lower
Freedom of Expression Index
South KoreaNorth Korea
0.01
South Korea
0.93
99% lower
Liberal Democracy Index
South KoreaNorth Korea
0.01
South Korea
0.74
98% lower
Domestic Patents
South KoreaNorth Korea
6.9K
South Korea
186.2K
96% lower
Electricity Generation
South KoreaNorth Korea
26.55 TWh
South Korea
622.03 TWh
96% lower
Electric Generating Capacity
South KoreaNorth Korea
8.36M kW
South Korea
151.14M kW
94% lower
Electricity Use (Per Capita)
South KoreaNorth Korea
829.77 kWh/person
South Korea
11.4K kWh/person
93% lower
Beer Consumption
South KoreaNorth Korea
0.13 L/person/yr
South Korea
1.5 L/person/yr
91% lower
Solar Electricity Share
South KoreaNorth Korea
0.63%
South Korea
6.0%
90% lower
Electoral Democracy Index
South KoreaNorth Korea
0.08
South Korea
0.82
90% lower
Total CO2 Emissions
South KoreaNorth Korea
66.24 Mt CO2e
South Korea
588.01 Mt CO2e
89% lower
Merchant Fleet Size
South KoreaNorth Korea
264
South Korea
2.1K
88% lower
Energy Use (Per Capita)
South KoreaNorth Korea
640.51 kg oil eq/person
South Korea
5.3K kg oil eq/person
88% lower
Irrigated Land
North KoreaNorth Korea
14.6K km²
South Korea
7.8K km²
88% higher
Milk Consumption per Person
South KoreaNorth Korea
3.8 kg/person/yr
South Korea
29.05 kg/person/yr
87% lower
Railway Length
North KoreaNorth Korea
7.4K km
South Korea
4.0K km
87% higher
Protected Land (%)
South KoreaNorth Korea
2.4%
South Korea
17.4%
86% lower
Mobile Subscriptions (%)
South KoreaNorth Korea
24 per 100 people
South Korea
173 per 100 people
86% lower
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
South KoreaNorth Korea
3.0 sites
South Korea
17 sites
82% lower
Meat Consumption per Person
South KoreaNorth Korea
13.67 kg/person/yr
South Korea
70.71 kg/person/yr
81% lower
Seafood Consumption per Person
South KoreaNorth Korea
10.96 kg/person/yr
South Korea
54.66 kg/person/yr
80% lower
CO2 Per Capita
South KoreaNorth Korea
2.4 t/person/yr
South Korea
11.29 t/person/yr
79% lower
Youth Population (%)
North KoreaNorth Korea
18.95%
South Korea
10.57%
79% higher
Corruption Perceptions Index
South KoreaNorth Korea
15 pts
South Korea
63 pts
76% lower
Water Stress (%)
South KoreaNorth Korea
12.92%
South Korea
45.02%
71% lower
Water Withdrawal
South KoreaNorth Korea
8.7 B m³
South Korea
29.2 B m³
70% lower
Women's Political Empowerment
South KoreaNorth Korea
0.29
South Korea
0.88
67% lower
Suicide Rate
South KoreaNorth Korea
9.3 per 100k
South Korea
27.53 per 100k
66% lower
Obesity Rate
North KoreaNorth Korea
10.87%
South Korea
6.7%
61% higher
Population Density
South KoreaNorth Korea
219.4 /km²
South Korea
529.84 /km²
59% lower
Insufficient Physical Activity
South KoreaNorth Korea
26.99% of adults
South Korea
56.48% of adults
52% lower
Alcohol Consumption
South KoreaNorth Korea
3.9 L/adult/yr
South Korea
7.8 L/adult/yr
50% lower
Population
South KoreaNorth Korea
26.40M
South Korea
51.49M
49% lower
Electricity Access (%)
South KoreaNorth Korea
57.5%
South Korea
100%
42% lower
Highest Elevation
North KoreaNorth Korea
2.7K m
South Korea
1.9K m
41% higher
Doctors (per 1,000)
North KoreaNorth Korea
3.6 per 1k
South Korea
2.6 per 1k
39% higher
Elderly Population (%)
South KoreaNorth Korea
12.4%
South Korea
19.27%
36% lower
Agricultural Land (%)
North KoreaNorth Korea
21.55%
South Korea
16.07%
34% higher
Time Zones Count
South KoreaNorth Korea
2.0 time zones
South Korea
3.0 time zones
33% lower
Safe Drinking Water (%)
South KoreaNorth Korea
66.61%
South Korea
99.28%
33% lower
Death Rate
North KoreaNorth Korea
9.0 per 1k
South Korea
6.9 per 1k
30% higher
Forest Coverage (%)
South KoreaNorth Korea
49.55%
South Korea
64.11%
23% lower
Land Area
North KoreaNorth Korea
120.4K km²
South Korea
97.6K km²
23% higher
Urban Population (%)
South KoreaNorth Korea
63.86%
South Korea
81.17%
21% lower
Median Age
South KoreaNorth Korea
36.0 years
South Korea
44.5 years
19% lower
Tobacco Use Prevalence
South KoreaNorth Korea
15.6% of adults
South Korea
19% of adults
18% lower
Youth Unemployment Rate
North KoreaNorth Korea
7.9% of youth labor force
South Korea
6.7% of youth labor force
18% higher
Electricity Carbon Intensity
South KoreaNorth Korea
340.59 gCO2/kWh
South Korea
417.06 gCO2/kWh
18% lower
Smoking Rate
South KoreaNorth Korea
16.5%
South Korea
20%
17% lower
Sanitation Access (%)
South KoreaNorth Korea
84.82%
South Korea
99.73%
15% lower
Air Pollution (PM2.5)
North KoreaNorth Korea
29.93 µg/m³
South Korea
25.94 µg/m³
15% higher
Airports
South KoreaNorth Korea
80
South Korea
92
13% lower
Women in Parliament (%)
South KoreaNorth Korea
17.61%
South Korea
20%
12% lower
Life Expectancy
South KoreaNorth Korea
73.6 years
South Korea
83.4 years
12% lower
Unemployment Rate
North KoreaNorth Korea
2.9%
South Korea
2.6%
10% higher
Coal Electricity Share
North KoreaNorth Korea
34.06%
South Korea
31.14%
9% higher
Food Waste per Person
South KoreaNorth Korea
122.73 kg/person/yr
South Korea
133.42 kg/person/yr
8% lower
Dependency Ratio
North KoreaNorth Korea
45.66% of working-age pop.
South Korea
42.53% of working-age pop.
7% higher
Teen Birth Rate
South KoreaNorth Korea
0.51 per 1k
South Korea
0.54 per 1k
5% lower
Forest Area
South KoreaNorth Korea
59.7K km²
South Korea
62.6K km²
5% lower
Coastline Length
North KoreaNorth Korea
2.5K km
South Korea
2.4K km
3% higher
Hypertension Prevalence
South KoreaNorth Korea
26.9% of adults
South Korea
27.7% of adults
3% lower
Wind Electricity Share
South KoreaNorth Korea
0%
South Korea
0.58%
ranked lower
Capital Elevation
North KoreaNorth Korea
38 m
South Korea
38 m
equal
Nobel Laureates Born per Million People
South KoreaNorth Korea
0 per 1M people
South Korea
0.06 per 1M people
ranked lower
Lowest Elevation
North KoreaNorth Korea
0 m
South Korea
0 m
ranked higher
Official Languages Count
North KoreaNorth Korea
2.0
South Korea
2.0
equal
EV Chargers per 100,000 People
South KoreaNorth Korea
0 per 100k people
South Korea
2.2 per 100k people
ranked lower
McDonald's Outlets per Million People
South KoreaNorth Korea
0 per 1M people
South Korea
5.4 per 1M people
ranked lower
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