North Korea has a population density of 573 people per square mile compared to 5,493 people in the Vatican. North Korea has 48,964 sq ft of land per person vs 5,274 sq ft in the Vatican. North Korea and the Vatican rank 52nd and 3rd by population density, respectively.
Population density is calculated as the ratio of population to land area. North Korea has 0.33% of the world's population and 0.08% of all countries' land area, compared to 0.00001% of the population and 0.0000003% of the land area for the Vatican, making the population density in North Korea 89.6% lower than in the Vatican.
Population density by year
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
North Korea
|
Vatican
|
|
| 2026 | 573 | 5,493 |
| 2025 | 572 | 5,460 |
| 2024 | 570 | 5,362 |
| 2023 | 568 | 5,460 |
| 2022 | 566 | 5,602 |
| 2021 | 564 | 5,723 |
| 2020 | 562 | 5,810 |
| 2019 | 560 | 5,886 |
| 2018 | 558 | - |
| 2017 | 555 | 5,886 |
| 2016 | 553 | - |
| 2015 | 550 | 5,886 |
| 2014 | 547 | 4,956 |
| 2013 | 545 | 4,939 |
| 2012 | 542 | 4,921 |
| 2011 | 540 | 4,897 |
| 2010 | 537 | 4,880 |
| 2009 | 535 | 4,862 |
| 2008 | 533 | 4,850 |
| 2007 | 530 | 4,833 |
| 2006 | 528 | 5,486 |
| 2005 | 525 | 5,421 |
| 2004 | 522 | 5,421 |
| 2003 | 518 | 5,362 |
| 2002 | 515 | 5,298 |
| 2001 | 512 | 5,239 |
| 2000 | 509 | 5,180 |
| 1999 | 505 | 5,180 |
| 1998 | 501 | 5,195 |
| 1997 | 497 | 5,217 |
| 1996 | 492 | 5,254 |
| 1995 | 488 | 5,306 |
| 1994 | 482 | 5,373 |
| 1993 | 475 | 5,388 |
| 1992 | 468 | 5,388 |
| 1991 | 461 | 5,395 |
| 1990 | 454 | 5,403 |
| 1989 | 447 | 5,418 |
| 1988 | 441 | 5,433 |
| 1987 | 435 | 5,418 |
| 1986 | 428 | 5,455 |
| 1985 | 422 | 5,462 |
| 1984 | 416 | 5,492 |
| 1983 | 410 | 5,507 |
| 1982 | 404 | 5,522 |
| 1981 | 398 | 5,522 |
| 1980 | 392 | 5,500 |
| 1979 | 387 | 5,492 |
| 1978 | 381 | 5,470 |
| 1977 | 376 | 5,448 |
| 1976 | 371 | 5,448 |
| 1975 | 365 | 5,448 |
| 1974 | 359 | 5,470 |
| 1973 | 352 | 5,477 |
| 1972 | 344 | 5,507 |
| 1971 | 335 | 5,559 |
| 1970 | 326 | 5,633 |
| 1969 | 318 | 5,797 |
| 1968 | 309 | 6,176 |
| 1967 | 300 | 6,317 |
| 1966 | 291.9 | 6,867 |
| 1965 | 284.3 | 6,830 |
| 1964 | 277.3 | 6,815 |
| 1963 | 270.3 | 6,815 |
| 1962 | 263.8 | 6,808 |
| 1961 | 257.9 | 6,837 |
| 1960 | - | 6,837 |
Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (1960–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20).
GeoRank.org/population-density/north-korea/vatican | CC BY 
From 2006 to 2026, population density in North Korea increased by 8.64%, compared to a 0.13% growth in the Vatican.
In 2006, North Korea ranked 40th by population density and is 52nd now. The Vatican was 3rd in 2006 and still ranks 3rd out of 197 currently.
Population density comparison
|
North Korea
|
Vatican
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 573 ppl/mi² | 5,493 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 52/197 | 3/197 |
| Population |
26659144
|
936
|
| Land area | 46,491 sq mi | 0.17 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 48,911 sq ft | 4,736 sq ft |
| Rural population | 36.1% | n/a |
| Urban population | 63.9% | n/a |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 10.7% | 0% |
Densely populated cities
|
North Korea
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| Pyongyang | 2.86M |
| Hamhung | 769K |
| Chongjin | 668K |
| Sunchon | 437K |
| Nampo | 367K |
| Wonsan | 363K |
| Sinuiju | 359K |
| Tanchon | 346K |
| Kaechon | 320K |
| Kaesong | 308K |
Compare countries by 7 more topics
Population density in other countries
Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10); U.S. Census Bureau (1961–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20).
GeoRank.org/population-density/north-korea/vatican | CC BY
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Data sources:
- World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06)
- United Nations | World Population Prospects (1960–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10)
- U.S. Census Bureau (1961–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08)
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20)
- Wikidata (2008–2024, retrieved 2026-02-08)
Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) — you’re free to copy, share, remix, adapt, and use even commercially as long as you give appropriate credit and clearly indicate if you made changes. Other sources may be subject to different license terms.