KPW
…
KRW
…
Land Area
North Korea
120,538 km²
Largest
South Korea
100,210 km²
83.1% of largest
North Korea is 1.20× larger than South Korea
Population
South Korea
LARGEST
51.68M
PEOPLE
North Korea
51.4% OF LARGEST
26.57M
PEOPLE
South Korea has 1.95× the population of North Korea
GDP
South Korea
LARGEST
$1.87T
North Korea
2.4% OF LARGEST
$44.8B
Armed Forces
Active Personnel
North Korea
LARGEST
1.28M
TROOPS
South Korea
43.4% OF LARGEST
555K
TROOPS
North Korea has 2.31× the active personnel of South Korea
Air Force
South Korea
LARGEST
1.58K
AIRCRAFT
North Korea
59.8% OF LARGEST
946
AIRCRAFT
South Korea has 1.67× the aircraft of North Korea
Naval Assets
North Korea
South Korea
Wealth
Gold Reserves
South Korea
LARGEST
104.4
Metric Tonnes
North Korea
Foreign-Exchange Reserves
South Korea
LARGEST
$420B
Reserves · excl. gold
North Korea
$0B
Reserves · excl. gold
Billionaires
South Korea
MOST
30
billionaires
North Korea
—
Oil
Production & Consumption
South Korea
NET IMPORTER
Production
0.0M b/d
Consumption
2.7M b/d
−2.7M b/d net
Trade (Import/Export)
North Korea
$0.4B
Exports
$0.4B
Imports
$2.4B
Trade Balance
$-2.0B
Trade Deficit
South Korea
$831.9B
Exports
$831.9B
Imports
$755.5B
Trade Balance
+$76.4B
Trade Surplus
Drinks per Person
Coffee
kg / person / yr
South Korea
consumption
North Korea
Tea
kg / person / yr
South Korea
consumption
North Korea
Beer
litres / person / yr
South Korea
consumption
North Korea
Wine
litres / person / yr
South Korea
consumption
North Korea
Alcohol
litres pure alcohol / person / yr
South Korea
consumption
North Korea
consumption
Smoking
% of adults 15+ who smoke
South Korea
North Korea
Per-capita — consumption where available, else FAOSTAT supply · alcohol = litres of pure alcohol; smoking = % of adults 15+ (WHO)
Olympic Medals
South Korea
145
Gold
134
Silver
130
Bronze
409
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 320
❄ Winter: 89
North Korea
16
Gold
19
Silver
28
Bronze
63
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 61
❄ Winter: 2
Religious Demographics
Religious Distribution
Religious Composition by Country
North Korea
South Korea
Age Demographics
Median Age
South Korea
44.9
YEARS
10
30
50
70
North Korea
34.6
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Age Distribution
Population breakdown by age bracket (percentage)
Demographic Insights
Age Gap
South Korea is 10.3 years older (median) than North Korea
Youth Population
North Korea has the highest youth population at 41.9% (under 30)
Elderly Population
South Korea has the highest elderly population at 25.3% (60+)
Global Statistics
| Metric |
North Korea
|
South Korea
|
|---|---|---|
| Travel & Mobility | ||
| Passport Power visa-free destinations | — |
193
|
| Tourist Arrivals per year | — |
11.0M
|
| Culture & Prestige | ||
| 3-Michelin-Star Restaurants current guide |
0
|
1
|
| UNESCO Heritage Sites inscribed sites |
3
|
17
|
Figures as of 2026. Sources: IMF, EIA/OPEC, Henley Passport Index, UNWTO, Forbes, Michelin Guide, Nobel Foundation, UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
Cost of Living
|
Metric
All indices use New York City as base (100)
Lower values indicate lower costs.
|
North Korea
|
South Korea
|
|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index | N/A |
|
| Rent Index | N/A |
|
| Groceries Index | N/A |
|
| Restaurant Price Index | N/A |
|
| Local Purchasing Power | N/A |
|
| Common Expenses Comparison | ||
| Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant (USD) | N/A | $8 |
| Three-Course Meal for 2 (USD) | N/A | $40 |
| Monthly Rent - City Center (USD) | N/A | $800 |
| Monthly Rent - Outside Center (USD) | N/A | $500 |
| Monthly Utilities (USD) | N/A | $140 |
| Internet (60 Mbps, USD) | N/A | $25 |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (USD) | N/A | $45 |
Health
Healthcare spending, capacity and outcomes. Sources: World Bank / WHO — the year tag shows each figure’s vintage; “—” means the country doesn’t report that metric.
Health spending / person
South Korea
North Korea
Physicians per 1,000
North Korea
South Korea
Hospital beds per 1,000
South Korea
North Korea
Diabetes prevalence
North Korea
South Korea
Obesity prevalence
North Korea
South Korea
Suicide rate per 100k
South Korea
North Korea
Want the long view?
GDP, population, reserves & trade for North Korea vs South Korea — charted over the decades.
Basic Information
| Metric | North Korea | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 26571036 | 51684564 |
| Area (sq km) | 120538 | 100210 |
| Capital | Pyongyang | Seoul |
| Official Language | Korean | Korean |
| Currency | North Korean Won (KPW) | South Korean Won (KRW) |
| Government Type | Unitary one-party socialist republic | Unitary presidential constitutional republic |
Military Strength
| Metric | North Korea | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| Active Personnel | 1,280,000 | 555,000 |
| Reserve Personnel | 600,000 | 3,100,000 |
| Total Military Personnel | 1,880,000 | 3,655,000 |
| Defense Budget (USD) | $3,600,000,000 | $46,700,000,000 |
| Tanks | 5,895 | 2,321 |
| Armored Vehicles | 4,060 | 3,100 |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | 2,250 | 1,836 |
| Towed Artillery | 5,500 | 1,700 |
| Rocket Projectors | 5,000 | 600 |
Economy
| Metric | North Korea | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $44,800,000,000 | $1,872,374,961,553 |
| GDP Per Capita (USD) | $1,686 | $36,227 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 3.5% | 2.7% |
| GINI Index (Income Inequality) | 0.0 | 32.9 |
| Currency | North Korean Won (KPW) | South Korean Won (KRW) |
| Loading current exchange rates… | ||
Interesting Comparisons & Trivia
Did You Know?
North Korea is 1.2 times larger in area than South Korea.
South Korea has 1.9 times more people than North Korea.
South Korea has the highest GDP per capita at $36,227 among the selected countries.
South Korea has the largest economy with a GDP of
$1.87 trillion.
North Korea has the largest active military personnel with 1,280,000 troops.
South Korea has the largest air force with 1,581 aircraft.
North Korea has the largest navy with 967 vessels.
North Korea vs South Korea: Key Comparisons
Economy: South Korea's GDP of $1.9T is 41.8x larger than North Korea's $45B — both among the world's largest economies.
Population: South Korea's population of 52M is 1.9x larger than North Korea's 27M.
Area: North Korea covers 120,538 km², making it 1.2x larger than South Korea.
Military: North Korea fields 1.3Million active troops vs South Korea's 560Thousand.
Trade: North Korea has a trade deficit of $2B while South Korea runs a trade surplus of $76B.
Life Expectancy: South Korea leads with a life expectancy of 84 years vs North Korea's 74.
Data compiled from World Bank, IMF, Global Firepower, SIPRI, Numbeo, and Pew Research.
Last updated August 2026.
Sources & methodology