It is known that North Korea conducted its first population census in 1993, but accurate data on the population size and composition is not available. Moreover, there were significant discrepancies found in the 1993 census data, such as a large omission of men of military conscription age (15–30 years old) and inconsistencies in the data, raising questions about the reliability of North Korea’s population census. Various studies and statistics have been conducted domestically and internationally to estimate North Korea’s population; the summary compiled by the Korea Institute for National Unification in 2020 follows.
According to the data from the Korea Institute for National Unification, North Korea’s population, which was around 9.6 to 10.5 million after liberation, exceeded 20 million in the 1990s and is predicted to be about 25 million as of 2024. The population of North Korea is estimated to have decreased during the Korean War (1950–1953) and during part of the Arduous March (1994–1998), but overall, the country has shown a steady population growth rate.
The population in North Korea is mainly concentrated in the southwestern region, which has low altitudes and plains. The population density is highest around the Pyongyang Directly Governed City and the South Pyongan Province. The regions of Sinuiju, which borders China and allows land travel, and Kaesong Special City, where the inter-Korean industrial complex was established, also have high population densities. In contrast, the northeastern mountainous regions (Jagang, Ryanggang, North Hamgyong, South Hamgyong, and Kangwon provinces) have generally low population densities. However, due to various factors such as the distribution of plains, the development of ports, and proximity to China, some inland cities and areas along the East Sea have high population densities, notably Hyesan, Chongjin, Hamhung, Kanggye, and Wonsan.
The right to freedom of movement is a universally recognized right internationally, but the movement of the North Korean population is very limited. North Korea is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which includes the guarantee of the universal civil right to freedom of movement, residence, and exit. In September 1998, a new Article 75 was added to the constitution, recognizing “the freedom of residence and travel of citizens.” However, Article 30 of the People’s Security Control Act stipulates that acts violating “travel orders and walking orders” may be controlled by public security agencies, and Article 299, Section 5 of the Administrative Punishment Act specifies penalties for “violating travel orders.” Due to these statutory restrictions, inter-regional population movement in North Korea is not active. As of 2008, among the approximately 21 million North Koreans, only about 746,000, or about 3.4%, changed their residence to another county compared to five years earlier.
If North Korea’s population structure were represented by a population pyramid, it would be as follows: In 1965, North Korea’s population structure showed an abnormally low number of 10–14-year-olds due to a decline in birth rates during the Korean War, and a high number of 0–10-year-olds due to a post-war baby boom. Additionally, there is a low proportion of the elderly population (65 years and older) compared to the working-age population (16–64 years). The 2020 population pyramid shows that the largest age group is 45–60 years old, reflecting the growth of the baby boom generation. The proportion of the working-age population relative to the total population is also high.
<graph> North Korea’s Population Pyramid – 1955, 2020
<map, photograph> Population Density of North Korea
As of 2024, the largest city in North Korea is the capital, Pyongyang, with a population of about 3.18 million, followed by Chongjin (about 650,000), Hamhung (about 530,000), Wonsan (about 360,000), and Sinuiju (about 330,000). Currently, about 16 million people live in North Korean cities, with an urbanization rate of approximately 63.5%. During the same period, South Korea’s urbanization rate is 91.9%, indicating a significant difference in urbanization rates between the two
Koreas.
In terms of the urbanization process, the North Korean region experienced rapid urbanization as it pursued industrialization after liberation. The urbanization rate quickly increased from 31% in 1953 to 56.7% in 1976, but the trend of urbanization has been very slow since then. However, according to the 2018 UN World Urbanization Prospects, the urbanization rate has again been increasing rapidly since 2018 and is expected to exceed 70% by 2041 and reach 74.2% by 2050.
Examining the changes in North Korea’s city rankings, the order in 1940 was Pyongyang—Chongjin—Wonsan—Hamhung. By 1967, Hamhung’s growth was prominent, changing the order to Pyongyang—Hamhung—Chongjin—Wonsan. In 1982, Chongjin rose again to become the second-largest city, changing the order to Pyongyang—Chongjin—Hamhung—Wonsan. Since the 1990s, Hamhung has again overtaken Chongjin, and with the notable growth of Nampo, the city ranking as of 2008 is Pyongyang—Hamhung—Chongjin—Nampo.