The latest officially reported population of Japan was 123,975,371 in 2024 vs 26,498,823 people in North Korea in 2024. In 2025, based on the adjusted UN estimation, the current Japan's population is 123,324,642 people compared to 26,621,357 in North Korea.
Population statistics:
- Japan's population is 4.63 times bigger than North Korea's.
- Japan is ranked the 12th most populous country in the world, while North Korea is the 56th.
- The countries together account for 1.81% of the world: 1.49% for Japan vs 0.32% for North Korea.
- For the last 10 years, Japan has had an average growth rate of -0.25% per year vs +0.41% in North Korea.
- Since 2005, the population of Japan has decreased from 128M people to 123M (3.48% decline), while North Korea has grown from 24.4M to 26.6M (9.12% growth).
- North Korea is projected to reach its peak in 2032 at 26.8M people, while Japan's population already peaked in 2010 at 128M people and is projected to decrease to 77M people by 2100.
Japan vs North Korea: live population counter
Japan
|
North Korea
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Current population |
123324642
|
26621357
|
| Population rank | 12/197 | 56/197 |
| Percent of world population | 1.49% | 0.32% |
| One net population change |
58.3 seconds
|
6.52 minutes
|
| One birth every |
42.2 seconds
|
1.54 minutes
|
| One death every |
19.5 seconds
|
2.05 minutes
|
| One migration net change every |
3.43 minutes
|
3.54 hours
|
| Annual migration change | +153,357 | -2,473 |
| Daily growth/decline | -1,483 | +221 |
| Annual growth/decline | -541,279 | +80,619 |
| Annual growth/decline rate | -0.43% | +0.31% |
| Population growth rate rank | 182/197 | 149/197 |
Japan and North Korea: population history and growth rate by year chart
Japan
Population
Growth rate
North Korea
Population
Growth rate
| Year | Population | Growth rate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Japan
|
North Korea
|
Japan
|
North Korea
|
|
| 1960 | 93,216,000 | 11,722,953 | - | - |
| 1961 | 94,055,000 | 11,990,713 | 0.9% | 2.28% |
| 1962 | 94,933,000 | 12,262,882 | 0.93% | 2.27% |
| 1963 | 95,900,000 | 12,567,057 | 1.02% | 2.48% |
| 1964 | 96,903,000 | 12,889,770 | 1.05% | 2.57% |
| 1965 | 97,952,000 | 13,219,369 | 1.08% | 2.56% |
| 1966 | 98,851,000 | 13,569,094 | 0.92% | 2.65% |
| 1967 | 99,879,000 | 13,958,350 | 1.04% | 2.87% |
| 1968 | 101,011,000 | 14,365,596 | 1.13% | 2.92% |
| 1969 | 102,219,000 | 14,767,615 | 1.2% | 2.8% |
| 1970 | 103,403,000 | 15,172,775 | 1.16% | 2.74% |
| 1971 | 105,697,000 | 15,572,457 | 2.22% | 2.63% |
| 1972 | 107,188,000 | 15,975,069 | 1.41% | 2.59% |
| 1973 | 108,707,000 | 16,350,367 | 1.42% | 2.35% |
| 1974 | 110,162,000 | 16,673,121 | 1.34% | 1.97% |
| 1975 | 111,573,000 | 16,971,055 | 1.28% | 1.79% |
| 1976 | 112,775,000 | 17,243,450 | 1.08% | 1.61% |
| 1977 | 113,872,000 | 17,492,798 | 0.97% | 1.45% |
| 1978 | 114,913,000 | 17,735,995 | 0.91% | 1.39% |
| 1979 | 115,890,000 | 17,983,470 | 0.85% | 1.4% |
| 1980 | 116,807,000 | 18,236,786 | 0.79% | 1.41% |
| 1981 | 117,661,000 | 18,501,295 | 0.73% | 1.45% |
| 1982 | 118,480,000 | 18,776,357 | 0.7% | 1.49% |
| 1983 | 119,307,000 | 19,054,034 | 0.7% | 1.48% |
| 1984 | 120,083,000 | 19,335,043 | 0.65% | 1.47% |
| 1985 | 120,837,000 | 19,620,388 | 0.63% | 1.48% |
| 1986 | 121,482,000 | 19,910,855 | 0.53% | 1.48% |
| 1987 | 122,069,000 | 20,205,483 | 0.48% | 1.48% |
| 1988 | 122,578,000 | 20,503,161 | 0.42% | 1.47% |
| 1989 | 123,069,000 | 20,804,367 | 0.4% | 1.47% |
| 1990 | 123,478,000 | 21,112,137 | 0.33% | 1.48% |
| 1991 | 123,964,000 | 21,428,638 | 0.39% | 1.5% |
| 1992 | 124,425,000 | 21,750,911 | 0.37% | 1.5% |
| 1993 | 124,829,000 | 22,073,352 | 0.32% | 1.48% |
| 1994 | 125,178,000 | 22,393,975 | 0.28% | 1.45% |
| 1995 | 125,472,000 | 22,669,304 | 0.23% | 1.23% |
| 1996 | 125,757,000 | 22,895,746 | 0.23% | 1% |
| 1997 | 126,057,000 | 23,110,830 | 0.24% | 0.94% |
| 1998 | 126,400,000 | 23,311,564 | 0.27% | 0.87% |
| 1999 | 126,631,000 | 23,497,599 | 0.18% | 0.8% |
| 2000 | 126,843,000 | 23,665,910 | 0.17% | 0.72% |
| 2001 | 127,149,000 | 23,815,358 | 0.24% | 0.63% |
| 2002 | 127,445,000 | 23,943,973 | 0.23% | 0.54% |
| 2003 | 127,718,000 | 24,090,380 | 0.21% | 0.61% |
| 2004 | 127,761,000 | 24,254,943 | 0.03% | 0.68% |
| 2005 | 127,773,000 | 24,396,433 | 0.009% | 0.58% |
| 2006 | 127,854,000 | 24,524,507 | 0.06% | 0.52% |
| 2007 | 128,001,000 | 24,646,383 | 0.11% | 0.5% |
| 2008 | 128,063,000 | 24,764,618 | 0.05% | 0.48% |
| 2009 | 128,047,000 | 24,878,332 | -0.01% | 0.46% |
| 2010 | 128,070,000 | 24,987,258 | 0.02% | 0.44% |
| 2011 | 127,833,000 | 25,097,874 | -0.19% | 0.44% |
| 2012 | 127,629,000 | 25,211,728 | -0.16% | 0.45% |
| 2013 | 127,445,000 | 25,329,451 | -0.14% | 0.47% |
| 2014 | 127,276,000 | 25,451,262 | -0.13% | 0.48% |
| 2015 | 127,141,000 | 25,575,350 | -0.11% | 0.49% |
| 2016 | 127,076,000 | 25,698,326 | -0.05% | 0.48% |
| 2017 | 126,972,000 | 25,817,709 | -0.08% | 0.46% |
| 2018 | 126,811,000 | 25,931,147 | -0.13% | 0.44% |
| 2019 | 126,633,000 | 26,037,632 | -0.14% | 0.41% |
| 2020 | 126,261,000 | 26,136,312 | -0.29% | 0.38% |
| 2021 | 125,681,593 | 26,232,534 | -0.46% | 0.37% |
| 2022 | 125,124,989 | 26,328,845 | -0.44% | 0.37% |
| 2023 | 124,516,650 | 26,418,204 | -0.49% | 0.34% |
| 2024 | 123,975,371 | 26,498,823 | -0.43% | 0.31% |
| 2025 | 123,324,642 | 26,571,033 | -0.52% | 0.27% |
| 2026 | 122,647,678 | 26,633,682 | -0.55% | 0.24% |
| 2027 | 121,951,038 | 26,686,492 | -0.57% | 0.2% |
| 2028 | 121,241,776 | 26,729,261 | -0.58% | 0.16% |
| 2029 | 120,524,230 | 26,762,008 | -0.59% | 0.12% |
| 2030 | 119,798,959 | 26,784,894 | -0.6% | 0.09% |
| 2031 | 119,065,610 | 26,797,946 | -0.61% | 0.05% |
| 2032 | 118,326,333 | 26,801,071 | -0.62% | 0.01% |
| 2033 | 117,583,337 | 26,795,061 | -0.63% | -0.02% |
| 2034 | 116,836,274 | 26,780,481 | -0.64% | -0.05% |
| 2035 | 116,084,328 | 26,757,705 | -0.64% | -0.09% |
| 2036 | 115,332,395 | 26,727,309 | -0.65% | -0.11% |
| 2037 | 114,582,890 | 26,689,907 | -0.65% | -0.14% |
| 2038 | 113,837,760 | 26,646,323 | -0.65% | -0.16% |
| 2039 | 113,097,352 | 26,596,967 | -0.65% | -0.19% |
| 2040 | 112,359,802 | 26,542,417 | -0.65% | -0.21% |
| 2041 | 111,622,622 | 26,483,475 | -0.66% | -0.22% |
| 2042 | 110,891,223 | 26,420,812 | -0.66% | -0.24% |
| 2043 | 110,169,955 | 26,354,324 | -0.65% | -0.25% |
| 2044 | 109,455,823 | 26,284,000 | -0.65% | -0.27% |
| 2045 | 108,747,012 | 26,210,196 | -0.65% | -0.28% |
| 2046 | 108,044,346 | 26,132,922 | -0.65% | -0.29% |
| 2047 | 107,350,486 | 26,052,086 | -0.64% | -0.31% |
| 2048 | 106,665,616 | 25,967,581 | -0.64% | -0.32% |
| 2049 | 105,986,908 | 25,879,244 | -0.64% | -0.34% |
| 2050 | 105,312,022 | 25,787,120 | -0.64% | -0.36% |
From 2005 to 2015, the population of Japan decreased by 632,000 people (a 0.49% decline), while North Korea gained 1,178,917 people (a 4.83% growth).
For the next 10 years, from 2015 to 2025, Japan lost -3,816,358 (a 3% decline), while North Korea's population increased by 1,046,007 (a 4.09% growth).
Japan was ranked 10th most populous country in 2005 and is 12th in 2025. North Korea was ranked 46th in 2005 and ranked 56th now.
The UN's World Population Prospects forecasts that with changing growth rate trends in 25 years (in 2050) Japan's population will shrink by 14.6% to 105,312,022 people with a rank change from 12th to 17th. The population of North Korea will decrease by 3.13% to 25,787,120 people and rank change from 56th to 66th.
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Population differences between Japan and North Korea
|
Japan
|
North Korea
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy | 85 years | 73.9 years |
| Average age | 48.3 years | 38 years |
| Median age | 50.4 years | 37.3 years |
| Male:Female ratio | 48.8:51.2 | 49.5:50.5 |
| Fertility rate | 1.2 births per woman | 1.78 births per woman |
| Population density | 881 ppl/mi² | 570 ppl/mi² |
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Population
Growth rate visualization in other countries
Growth rate
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