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North Korea vs Zambia statistics compared

Updated on by Georank team

North Korea has a population of 26.5M (ranked 56/197), compared with 21.3M in Zambia (ranked 63/197). North Korea's land area is 46,491 sq mi versus 287,024 sq mi for Zambia (ranked 97th vs. 37th).

By GDP, North Korea ranks 106/197 ($34.9B) and Zambia ranks 115/197 ($26.3B). By GDP per capita, North Korea ranks 168/197 ($1,319), while Zambia ranks 169/197 ($1,235).

Main facts and rankings

North Korea Zambia
Population
26621357
22402291
Population rank 56/197 62/197
GDP
$34.9B
2024
$26.3B
2024
GDP rank 106/197 115/197
GDP per capita
$1,319
2024
$1,235
2024
GDP per capita rank 168/197 169/197
GDP per capita, PPP
$1,700
2015
$4,224
2024
Government debt n/a
$30.3B
2024
Debt-to-GDP ratio n/a
99%
2025
Government debt per person n/a
$1,420
2024
Government debt per person rank n/a 132/185
Average annual personal income after taxes
$1,642
2025
$1,168
2025
Land area
46,491 sq mi
2025
287,024 sq mi
2025
Population density
570 ppl/mi²
2024
74.3 ppl/mi²
2024
Fertility rate
1.78
2023
4.1
2023
Median age
37.3 years
2024
18.8 years
2024
Life expectancy
73.9 years
2025
66.7 years
2025

North Korea and Zambia: Comparison Charts

North Korea and Zambia economies compared

GDP
North Korea

Zambia
Year GDP
North Korea Zambia
1960 - $698,739,721
1961 - $682,359,727
1962 - $679,279,729
1963 - $704,339,719
1964 - $822,639,671
1965 - $1,061,199,576
1966 - $1,238,999,505
1967 - $1,340,639,464
1968 - $1,573,739,371
1969 - $1,926,399,230
1970 - $1,788,779,285
1971 - $1,653,259,341
1972 - $1,872,416,680
1973 - $2,434,255,237
1974 - $2,910,981,262
1975 - $2,442,672,141
1976 - $2,742,859,263
1977 - $2,515,296,940
1978 - $2,811,032,473
1979 - $3,353,445,378
1980 - $3,884,530,854
1981 - $4,008,126,497
1982 - $3,871,117,093
1983 - $3,321,048,451
1984 - $2,719,518,933
1985 - $2,252,454,500
1986 - $1,664,413,508
1987 - $2,265,250,972
1988 - $3,728,878,149
1989 - $3,994,673,161
1990 - $3,288,381,797
1991 - $3,376,806,697
1992 - $3,182,810,841
1993 - $3,273,505,344
1994 - $3,656,806,166
1995 - $3,806,983,413
1996 - $3,597,220,962
1997 - $4,303,288,480
1998 - $3,537,741,942
1999 - $3,404,284,891
2000 - $3,600,632,111
2001 - $4,094,441,301
2002 - $4,193,850,445
2003 - $4,901,869,764
2004 - $6,221,110,219
2005 - $8,331,870,169
2006 - $12,756,858,899
2007 - $14,056,957,976
2008 - $17,910,858,638
2009 $23,356,470,000 $15,328,342,304
2010 $25,995,513,000 $20,265,559,484
2011 $29,005,020,000 $23,459,515,276
2012 $29,890,710,000 $25,503,060,420
2013 $30,588,922,000 $28,037,239,463
2014 $30,554,460,000 $27,141,023,558
2015 $30,723,030,000 $21,251,216,799
2016 $28,882,640,000 $20,958,412,538
2017 $29,105,440,000 $25,873,601,261
2018 $28,536,400,000 $26,311,507,274
2019 $28,222,880,000 $23,308,667,781
2020 $27,728,240,000 $18,137,764,931
2021 $32,301,720,000 $22,096,416,932
2022 $28,971,360,000 $29,163,782,140
2023 $32,155,360,000 $27,577,956,471
2024 $34,943,120,000 $26,325,775,287

North Korea and Zambia economies compared

GDP per capita
North Korea

Zambia
Year GDP per capita
North Korea Zambia
1960 - $221.6
1961 - $209.7
1962 - $202.3
1963 - $203.2
1964 - $230
1965 - $287.4
1966 - $325
1967 - $341
1968 - $387
1969 - $459
1970 - $414
1971 - $372
1972 - $410
1973 - $518
1974 - $601
1975 - $490
1976 - $533
1977 - $474
1978 - $514
1979 - $595
1980 - $669
1981 - $670
1982 - $627
1983 - $520
1984 - $413
1985 - $332
1986 - $238.2
1987 - $315
1988 - $504
1989 - $526
1990 - $422
1991 - $423
1992 - $389
1993 - $391
1994 - $426
1995 - $433
1996 - $400
1997 - $466
1998 - $373
1999 - $350
2000 - $359
2001 - $397
2002 - $394
2003 - $446
2004 - $549
2005 - $711
2006 - $1,052
2007 - $1,119
2008 - $1,376
2009 $939 $1,136
2010 $1,040 $1,451
2011 $1,156 $1,625
2012 $1,186 $1,710
2013 $1,208 $1,821
2014 $1,201 $1,707
2015 $1,201 $1,296
2016 $1,124 $1,239
2017 $1,127 $1,483
2018 $1,100 $1,464
2019 $1,084 $1,259
2020 $1,061 $952
2021 $1,231 $1,127
2022 $1,100 $1,447
2023 $1,217 $1,331
2024 $1,319 $1,235

North Korea vs. Zambia life expectancy calculator

Life expectancy
North Korea

Zambia
Year Life expectancy, years
North Korea Zambia
1950 14.2 46.8
1951 17.7 47.2
1952 32.8 47.6
1953 40.3 48
1954 50.6 48.4
1955 51.8 48.8
1956 52.8 49.1
1957 53.7 49.5
1958 54.5 49.9
1959 55.2 50.3
1960 55.8 50.6
1961 56.4 51
1962 57 51.3
1963 57.6 51.6
1964 58.2 51.2
1965 58.8 52.1
1966 59.4 52.3
1967 60.1 52.5
1968 60.8 52.7
1969 61.4 53
1970 62 53.4
1971 62.7 53.9
1972 63.3 54.4
1973 63.8 54.9
1974 64.3 55.4
1975 64.8 55.7
1976 65.3 56.1
1977 65.8 56.3
1978 66.3 56.3
1979 66.7 56
1980 67.2 55.5
1981 67.7 55
1982 68.1 54.4
1983 68.5 53.7
1984 68.9 52.9
1985 69.2 52
1986 69.5 51.1
1987 69.8 50.4
1988 70.1 49.7
1989 70.3 48.9
1990 70.5 48.2
1991 70.7 47.4
1992 71 47
1993 70.8 46.7
1994 70.5 46.3
1995 60.8 46.1
1996 60.8 45.8
1997 60.9 45.7
1998 60.9 45.7
1999 60.9 45.9
2000 60.9 46.6
2001 60.9 47.4
2002 60.9 48.5
2003 69.4 49.6
2004 69.3 50.5
2005 69.2 51.6
2006 69.1 52.7
2007 69 53.7
2008 69.3 54.8
2009 69.7 55.9
2010 70.2 56.9
2011 70.8 57.8
2012 71.3 58.7
2013 71.9 59.4
2014 72.5 60.1
2015 72.8 60.7
2016 73 61.1
2017 73 61.6
2018 73 62.1
2019 72.9 62.9
2020 72.8 63.4
2021 73.4 62.4
2022 73.6 65.3
2023 73.6 66.3
2024 73.7 66.5
2025 73.9 66.7

North Korea and Zambia population clocks and comparison

Population
North Korea

Zambia
Year Population
North Korea Zambia
1960 11,722,953 3,153,729
1961 11,990,713 3,254,086
1962 12,262,882 3,358,099
1963 12,567,057 3,465,907
1964 12,889,770 3,577,017
1965 13,219,369 3,692,086
1966 13,569,094 3,812,003
1967 13,958,350 3,936,343
1968 14,365,596 4,065,593
1969 14,767,615 4,197,116
1970 15,172,775 4,321,718
1971 15,572,457 4,442,525
1972 15,975,069 4,569,309
1973 16,350,367 4,702,693
1974 16,673,121 4,842,746
1975 16,971,055 4,990,086
1976 17,243,450 5,143,842
1977 17,492,798 5,302,480
1978 17,735,995 5,465,374
1979 17,983,470 5,631,728
1980 18,236,786 5,802,833
1981 18,501,295 5,983,289
1982 18,776,357 6,178,637
1983 19,054,034 6,381,038
1984 19,335,043 6,580,490
1985 19,620,388 6,780,953
1986 19,910,855 6,986,471
1987 20,205,483 7,191,282
1988 20,503,161 7,391,440
1989 20,804,367 7,589,216
1990 21,112,137 7,786,169
1991 21,428,638 7,981,650
1992 21,750,911 8,176,680
1993 22,073,352 8,373,921
1994 22,393,975 8,576,269
1995 22,669,304 8,785,763
1996 22,895,746 9,004,053
1997 23,110,830 9,237,063
1998 23,311,564 9,482,408
1999 23,497,599 9,740,005
2000 23,665,910 10,017,631
2001 23,815,358 10,325,185
2002 23,943,973 10,647,949
2003 24,090,380 10,983,595
2004 24,254,943 11,338,198
2005 24,396,433 11,718,819
2006 24,524,507 12,129,553
2007 24,646,383 12,565,085
2008 24,764,618 13,021,324
2009 24,878,332 13,490,389
2010 24,987,258 13,965,594
2011 25,097,874 14,437,796
2012 25,211,728 14,913,629
2013 25,329,451 15,398,997
2014 25,451,262 15,895,315
2015 25,575,350 16,399,089
2016 25,698,326 16,914,423
2017 25,817,709 17,441,320
2018 25,931,147 17,973,569
2019 26,037,632 18,513,839
2020 26,136,312 19,059,395
2021 26,232,534 19,603,607
2022 26,328,845 20,152,938
2023 26,418,204 20,723,965
2024 26,498,823 21,314,956

Fertility rates in North Korea and Zambia

Fertility rate
North Korea

Zambia
Year Fertility rate
North Korea Zambia
1960 3.57 6.95
1961 3.26 6.98
1962 3.41 7.01
1963 3.63 7.06
1964 3.55 7.09
1965 3.56 7.12
1966 3.71 7.14
1967 4.05 7.15
1968 3.87 7.18
1969 3.86 7.18
1970 3.85 7.22
1971 3.74 7.26
1972 3.89 7.3
1973 3.35 7.34
1974 3.14 7.36
1975 3.05 7.42
1976 2.84 7.39
1977 2.77 7.35
1978 2.79 7.29
1979 2.85 7.22
1980 2.84 7.14
1981 2.92 7.07
1982 2.85 7.04
1983 2.78 7.01
1984 2.71 6.97
1985 2.65 6.93
1986 2.59 6.87
1987 2.53 6.8
1988 2.47 6.7
1989 2.41 6.64
1990 2.39 6.57
1991 2.35 6.46
1992 2.29 6.35
1993 2.22 6.3
1994 2.18 6.26
1995 2.15 6.23
1996 2.09 6.18
1997 2.03 6.12
1998 1.99 6.07
1999 1.97 6
2000 1.94 5.92
2001 1.94 5.85
2002 1.92 5.77
2003 1.91 5.71
2004 1.9 5.7
2005 1.87 5.7
2006 1.94 5.68
2007 1.94 5.61
2008 1.97 5.53
2009 1.91 5.45
2010 1.89 5.36
2011 1.88 5.26
2012 1.88 5.14
2013 1.88 5.01
2014 1.87 4.89
2015 1.86 4.78
2016 1.86 4.67
2017 1.85 4.57
2018 1.83 4.49
2019 1.83 4.42
2020 1.82 4.32
2021 1.81 4.25
2022 1.8 4.18
2023 1.78 4.1

North Korea and Zambia demographics compared

Median age
North Korea

Zambia
Year Median age, years
North Korea Zambia
1960 19.9 17
1961 20.2 16.9
1962 20.6 16.8
1963 20.8 16.7
1964 21 16.6
1965 21.2 16.6
1966 21.3 16.5
1967 21.4 16.5
1968 21.4 16.4
1969 21.4 16.4
1970 21.4 16.2
1971 21.2 16.1
1972 20.9 15.9
1973 20.7 15.8
1974 20.7 15.7
1975 20.9 15.5
1976 21.1 15.4
1977 21.4 15.4
1978 21.8 15.3
1979 22.2 15.3
1980 22.5 15.2
1981 22.8 15.3
1982 23.1 15.3
1983 23.5 15.4
1984 23.9 15.4
1985 24.2 15.5
1986 24.5 15.5
1987 24.8 15.6
1988 25.1 15.6
1989 25.6 15.7
1990 26 15.7
1991 26.4 15.7
1992 26.8 15.8
1993 27.2 15.8
1994 27.6 15.8
1995 28 15.8
1996 28.3 15.8
1997 28.8 15.8
1998 29.2 15.8
1999 29.6 15.8
2000 30.1 15.9
2001 30.5 15.9
2002 31 16
2003 31.4 16.1
2004 31.8 16.2
2005 32.1 16.3
2006 32.5 16.3
2007 32.9 16.4
2008 33.3 16.5
2009 33.7 16.6
2010 34 16.7
2011 34.3 16.8
2012 34.5 16.9
2013 34.7 17
2014 35 17.1
2015 35.2 17.2
2016 35.4 17.4
2017 35.7 17.5
2018 35.9 17.7
2019 36.2 17.9
2020 36.4 18
2021 36.6 18.2
2022 36.8 18.4
2023 37.1 18.6
2024 37.3 18.8

Interactive Maps

Use the buttons below to switch between world maps comparing statistics for North Korea and Zambia.

GDP per capita

GDP

Life expectancy

Population

Population density

Fertility rate

Median age

Land area

National statistics comparison

Finance

North Korea Zambia
GNI, Atlas method n/a
$27B
2024
Government expenditure, % of GDP n/a
27.3%
2025
Education expenditure, % of GDP n/a
4.07%
2023
Military expenditure, % of GDP n/a
1.3%
2023
Armed forces personnel
1,469,000
2020
16,000
2020
Deficit/surplus, % of GDP n/a
-4.92%
2025
Unemployment rate
25.6%
2013
5.86%
2023
Services, % of GDP n/a
55.1%
2024
Industry, % of GDP n/a
37.5%
2024
Economic freedom index
3
2025
50.9
2025
Income share by richest 10% n/a
39.1%
2022
Income share by poorest 10% n/a
1.5%
2022
Listed domestic companies n/a
20
2024
Market capitalization of domestic companies n/a
$7.77B
2024
Total reserves including gold n/a
$4.09B
2024
Personal remittances received n/a
$334M
2024
International tourist arrivals n/a
502,000
2020
Banked people share n/a
72.7%
2024

Energy

North Korea Zambia
Energy use, kg of oil equivalent per capita
641 kg
2022
801 kg
2022
GDP PPP per kg equivalent of energy use n/a
$4.8
2022
Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions
64.3 megatons
2023
8.06 megatons
2023
CO2 emissions per capita
2.43 tons
2023
0.39 tons
2023
Fossil fuel energy use share
85.1%
2022
18.4%
2022
Renewable energy use share
14.7%
2021
83%
2021
Alternative and nuclear energy use share
8.5%
2022
9.18%
2022
Net energy imports use share
4.9%
2022
9.03%
2022
Electric power consumption per capita
830 kWh
2022
704 kWh
2022
Renewable electricity output share
63.2%
2021
92.1%
2021
Hydroelectric share
62.7%
2022
87.7%
2022
Nuclear share
0%
2021
0%
2021
Electricity access
57.5%
2023
51.1%
2023

Society

North Korea Zambia
% of world population
0.33%
2024
0.26%
2024
Annual migration change
-2,473
2024
+7,381
2024
Urban population
63.5%
2024
46.9%
2024
Male:Female ratio
50:50
2024
50:50
2024
Average male height
5.73 ft
2025
5.5 ft
2025
Average female height
5.29 ft
2025
5.16 ft
2025
Quality of life index
11.8
2025
30
2025
Corruption Perceptions Index
15
2024
39
2024
Higher education index
12
2025
47
2025
Homicides per 100K people
4.4
2015
5.25
2015
Road traffic mortality per 100K people
24.2
2019
20.5
2019
Visa free countries
51
2025
76
2025
Adult literacy rate
100%
2018
82%
2023
English speaking
0%
2025
16%
2023
People using the Internet
0%
2012
33%
2023

Health

North Korea Zambia
Government health expenditure per capita n/a
$76.1
2022
Out-of-pocket health expenditure per capita n/a
$7.37
2022
Life expectancy
73.9 years
2025
66.7 years
2025
Foreign aid share of health expenditure n/a
41.4%
2022
Physicians per 1,000 people
3.67
2017
0.26
2022
Age at first childbirth n/a
19.2 years
2025
Maternal mortality per 100K births
67
2023
85
2023
Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births
18
2023
44.7
2023
Obesity rate
11.1%
2022
11.2%
2022
Diabetes prevalence
9.9%
2024
10.3%
2024
Air quality index
42
2025
30
2025
Tobacco use prevalence
16.5%
2022
14.6%
2022
Pure alcohol consumption per capita
3.87 liters
2020
3.62 liters
2020

Territory

North Korea Zambia
% of world land
0.08%
2025
0.5%
2025
Land area per capita
1,754 sq mi
2024
13,466 sq mi
2024
Agricultural land area
10,021 sq mi
2025
92,043 sq mi
2025
Forest area
23,036 sq mi
2025
170,848 sq mi
2025
Roads length
15,879 mi
2006
42,049 mi
2018

In-depth comparisons

Facts comparisons

Facts vs North Korea vs Zambia
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