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Population in North Korea compared to Saudi Arabia: Trends, Charts, Rankings

Updated on by Georank team

The latest officially reported population of North Korea was 26,498,823 in 2024 vs 35,300,280 people in Saudi Arabia in 2024. In 2025, based on the adjusted UN estimation, the current North Korea's population is 26,621,357 people compared to 36,428,123 in Saudi Arabia.

Population statistics:

  • Saudi Arabia's population is 1.37 times bigger than North Korea's.
  • North Korea is ranked the 56th most populous country in the world, while Saudi Arabia is the 44th.
  • The countries together account for 0.76% of the world: 0.32% for North Korea vs 0.44% for Saudi Arabia.
  • For the last 10 years, North Korea has had an average growth rate of +0.41% per year vs +2.3% in Saudi Arabia.
  • Since 2005, the population of North Korea has increased from 24.4M people to 26.6M (9.12% growth), while Saudi Arabia has grown from 20.6M to 36.4M (77.2% growth).
  • North Korea is projected to reach its peak in 2032 at 26.8M people compared to the peak of 73.8M people in 2100 for Saudi Arabia.

North Korea vs Saudi Arabia: live population counter

North Korea Saudi Arabia
Current population
26621357
36428123
Population rank 56/197 44/197
Percent of world population 0.32% 0.44%
One net population change
6.52 minutes
19.7 seconds
One birth every
1.54 minutes
57 seconds
One death every
2.05 minutes
6.66 minutes
One migration net change every
3.54 hours
4.3 minutes
Annual migration change -2,473 +122,170
Daily growth/decline +221 +4,377
Annual growth/decline +80,619 +1,597,549
Annual growth/decline rate +0.31% +4.74%
Population growth rate rank 149/197 3/197

North Korea and Saudi Arabia: population history and growth rate by year chart

North Korea
Population

Growth rate
Saudi Arabia
Population

Growth rate
Year Population Growth rate
North Korea Saudi Arabia North Korea Saudi Arabia
1960 11,722,953 2,435,403 - -
1961 11,990,713 2,526,347 2.28% 3.73%
1962 12,262,882 2,620,910 2.27% 3.74%
1963 12,567,057 2,719,341 2.48% 3.76%
1964 12,889,770 2,821,968 2.57% 3.77%
1965 13,219,369 2,928,771 2.56% 3.78%
1966 13,569,094 3,039,887 2.65% 3.79%
1967 13,958,350 3,157,242 2.87% 3.86%
1968 14,365,596 3,282,711 2.92% 3.97%
1969 14,767,615 3,417,114 2.8% 4.09%
1970 15,172,775 3,562,470 2.74% 4.25%
1971 15,572,457 3,724,031 2.63% 4.54%
1972 15,975,069 3,905,722 2.59% 4.88%
1973 16,350,367 4,106,344 2.35% 5.14%
1974 16,673,121 4,323,632 1.97% 5.29%
1975 16,971,055 4,556,287 1.79% 5.38%
1976 17,243,450 4,807,933 1.61% 5.52%
1977 17,492,798 5,083,048 1.45% 5.72%
1978 17,735,995 5,381,902 1.39% 5.88%
1979 17,983,470 5,703,698 1.4% 5.98%
1980 18,236,786 6,047,997 1.41% 6.04%
1981 18,501,295 6,420,551 1.45% 6.16%
1982 18,776,357 6,824,486 1.49% 6.29%
1983 19,054,034 7,252,941 1.48% 6.28%
1984 19,335,043 7,697,307 1.47% 6.13%
1985 19,620,388 8,151,779 1.48% 5.9%
1986 19,910,855 8,628,639 1.48% 5.85%
1987 20,205,483 9,130,194 1.48% 5.81%
1988 20,503,161 9,629,165 1.47% 5.47%
1989 20,804,367 10,128,394 1.47% 5.18%
1990 21,112,137 10,640,691 1.48% 5.06%
1991 21,428,638 11,160,744 1.5% 4.89%
1992 21,750,911 11,686,676 1.5% 4.71%
1993 22,073,352 12,215,862 1.48% 4.53%
1994 22,393,975 12,750,040 1.45% 4.37%
1995 22,669,304 13,289,245 1.23% 4.23%
1996 22,895,746 13,831,009 1% 4.08%
1997 23,110,830 14,374,943 0.94% 3.93%
1998 23,311,564 14,922,185 0.87% 3.81%
1999 23,497,599 15,472,075 0.8% 3.69%
2000 23,665,910 16,177,722 0.72% 4.56%
2001 23,815,358 17,041,397 0.63% 5.34%
2002 23,943,973 17,910,910 0.54% 5.1%
2003 24,090,380 18,786,767 0.61% 4.89%
2004 24,254,943 19,669,480 0.68% 4.7%
2005 24,396,433 20,559,890 0.58% 4.53%
2006 24,524,507 21,459,144 0.52% 4.37%
2007 24,646,383 22,368,313 0.5% 4.24%
2008 24,764,618 23,287,877 0.48% 4.11%
2009 24,878,332 24,217,654 0.46% 3.99%
2010 24,987,258 23,978,487 0.44% -0.99%
2011 25,097,874 25,091,867 0.44% 4.64%
2012 25,211,728 26,168,861 0.45% 4.29%
2013 25,329,451 27,624,004 0.47% 5.56%
2014 25,451,262 28,309,273 0.48% 2.48%
2015 25,575,350 29,816,382 0.49% 5.32%
2016 25,698,326 30,954,198 0.48% 3.82%
2017 25,817,709 30,977,355 0.46% 0.07%
2018 25,931,147 30,196,281 0.44% -2.52%
2019 26,037,632 30,063,799 0.41% -0.44%
2020 26,136,312 31,552,510 0.38% 4.95%
2021 26,232,534 30,784,383 0.37% -2.43%
2022 26,328,845 32,175,224 0.37% 4.52%
2023 26,418,204 33,702,731 0.34% 4.75%
2024 26,498,823 35,300,280 0.31% 4.74%
2025 26,571,033 35,927,625 0.27% 1.78%
2026 26,633,682 36,550,694 0.24% 1.73%
2027 26,686,492 37,167,513 0.2% 1.69%
2028 26,729,261 37,775,810 0.16% 1.64%
2029 26,762,008 38,364,377 0.12% 1.56%
2030 26,784,894 38,918,375 0.09% 1.44%
2031 26,797,946 39,450,880 0.05% 1.37%
2032 26,801,071 39,983,934 0.01% 1.35%
2033 26,795,061 40,517,599 -0.02% 1.33%
2034 26,780,481 41,052,423 -0.05% 1.32%
2035 26,757,705 41,588,429 -0.09% 1.31%
2036 26,727,309 42,125,184 -0.11% 1.29%
2037 26,689,907 42,661,908 -0.14% 1.27%
2038 26,646,323 43,198,420 -0.16% 1.26%
2039 26,596,967 43,734,316 -0.19% 1.24%
2040 26,542,417 44,269,571 -0.21% 1.22%
2041 26,483,475 44,804,338 -0.22% 1.21%
2042 26,420,812 45,338,111 -0.24% 1.19%
2043 26,354,324 45,870,896 -0.25% 1.18%
2044 26,284,000 46,403,116 -0.27% 1.16%
2045 26,210,196 46,934,822 -0.28% 1.15%
2046 26,132,922 47,465,267 -0.29% 1.13%
2047 26,052,086 47,993,976 -0.31% 1.11%
2048 25,967,581 48,521,364 -0.32% 1.1%
2049 25,879,244 49,047,461 -0.34% 1.08%
2050 25,787,120 49,572,202 -0.36% 1.07%

From 2005 to 2015, the population of North Korea increased by 1,178,917 people (a 4.83% growth), while Saudi Arabia gained 9,256,492 people (a 45% growth).

For the next 10 years, from 2015 to 2025, North Korea gained 1,046,007 (a 4.09% growth), while Saudi Arabia's population increased by 6,611,741 (a 22.2% growth).

North Korea was ranked 46th most populous country in 2005 and is 56th in 2025. Saudi Arabia was ranked 51st in 2005 and ranked 44th now.

The UN's World Population Prospects forecasts that with changing growth rate trends in 25 years (in 2050) North Korea's population will shrink by 3.13% to 25,787,120 people with a rank change from 56th to 66th. The population of Saudi Arabia will increase by 36.1% to 49,572,202 people and rank change from 44th to 43rd.

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