The latest officially reported population of North Korea was 26,498,823 in 2024 vs 9,005,582 people in Switzerland in 2024. In 2026, based on the adjusted UN estimation, the current North Korea's population is 26,634,259 people compared to 9,092,598 in Switzerland.
Population statistics:
- North Korea's population is 2.93 times bigger than Switzerland's.
- North Korea is ranked the 56th most populous country in the world, while Switzerland is the 100th.
- The countries together account for 0.43% of the world: 0.32% for North Korea vs 0.11% for Switzerland.
- For the last 10 years, North Korea has had an average growth rate of +0.41% per year vs +0.98% in Switzerland.
- Since 2006, the population of North Korea has increased from 24.5M people to 26.6M (8.6% growth), while Switzerland has grown from 7.48M to 9.09M (21.5% growth).
- North Korea is projected to reach its peak in 2032 at 26.8M people compared to the peak of 9.43M people in 2052 for Switzerland.
North Korea vs Switzerland: live population counter
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Current population |
26634259
|
9092598
|
| Population rank | 56/197 | 100/197 |
| Percent of world population | 0.32% | 0.11% |
| One net population change |
6.52 minutes
|
4.5 minutes
|
| One birth every |
1.54 minutes
|
6.57 minutes
|
| One death every |
2.05 minutes
|
7.3 minutes
|
| One migration net change every |
3.54 hours
|
13.1 minutes
|
| Annual migration change | -2,473 | +40,099 |
| Daily growth/decline | +221 | +320 |
| Annual growth/decline | +80,619 | +116,760 |
| Annual growth/decline rate | +0.31% | +1.31% |
| Population growth rate rank | 150/197 | 82/197 |
North Korea and Switzerland: population history and growth rate by year chart
| Year | Population | Growth rate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1960 | 11,722,953 | 5,327,827 | - | - |
| 1961 | 11,990,713 | 5,434,294 | 2.28% | 2% |
| 1962 | 12,262,882 | 5,573,815 | 2.27% | 2.57% |
| 1963 | 12,567,057 | 5,694,247 | 2.48% | 2.16% |
| 1964 | 12,889,770 | 5,789,228 | 2.57% | 1.67% |
| 1965 | 13,219,369 | 5,856,472 | 2.56% | 1.16% |
| 1966 | 13,569,094 | 5,918,002 | 2.65% | 1.05% |
| 1967 | 13,958,350 | 5,991,785 | 2.87% | 1.25% |
| 1968 | 14,365,596 | 6,067,714 | 2.92% | 1.27% |
| 1969 | 14,767,615 | 6,136,387 | 2.8% | 1.13% |
| 1970 | 15,172,775 | 6,180,877 | 2.74% | 0.73% |
| 1971 | 15,572,457 | 6,213,399 | 2.63% | 0.53% |
| 1972 | 15,975,069 | 6,260,956 | 2.59% | 0.77% |
| 1973 | 16,350,367 | 6,307,347 | 2.35% | 0.74% |
| 1974 | 16,673,121 | 6,341,405 | 1.97% | 0.54% |
| 1975 | 16,971,055 | 6,338,632 | 1.79% | -0.04% |
| 1976 | 17,243,450 | 6,302,504 | 1.61% | -0.57% |
| 1977 | 17,492,798 | 6,281,174 | 1.45% | -0.34% |
| 1978 | 17,735,995 | 6,281,738 | 1.39% | 0.009% |
| 1979 | 17,983,470 | 6,294,365 | 1.4% | 0.2% |
| 1980 | 18,236,786 | 6,319,408 | 1.41% | 0.4% |
| 1981 | 18,501,295 | 6,354,074 | 1.45% | 0.55% |
| 1982 | 18,776,357 | 6,391,309 | 1.49% | 0.59% |
| 1983 | 19,054,034 | 6,418,773 | 1.48% | 0.43% |
| 1984 | 19,335,043 | 6,441,865 | 1.47% | 0.36% |
| 1985 | 19,620,388 | 6,470,365 | 1.48% | 0.44% |
| 1986 | 19,910,855 | 6,504,124 | 1.48% | 0.52% |
| 1987 | 20,205,483 | 6,545,106 | 1.48% | 0.63% |
| 1988 | 20,503,161 | 6,593,386 | 1.47% | 0.74% |
| 1989 | 20,804,367 | 6,646,912 | 1.47% | 0.81% |
| 1990 | 21,112,137 | 6,715,519 | 1.48% | 1.03% |
| 1991 | 21,428,638 | 6,799,978 | 1.5% | 1.26% |
| 1992 | 21,750,911 | 6,875,364 | 1.5% | 1.11% |
| 1993 | 22,073,352 | 6,938,265 | 1.48% | 0.91% |
| 1994 | 22,393,975 | 6,993,795 | 1.45% | 0.8% |
| 1995 | 22,669,304 | 7,040,687 | 1.23% | 0.67% |
| 1996 | 22,895,746 | 7,071,850 | 1% | 0.44% |
| 1997 | 23,110,830 | 7,088,906 | 0.94% | 0.24% |
| 1998 | 23,311,564 | 7,110,001 | 0.87% | 0.3% |
| 1999 | 23,497,599 | 7,143,991 | 0.8% | 0.48% |
| 2000 | 23,665,910 | 7,184,250 | 0.72% | 0.56% |
| 2001 | 23,815,358 | 7,229,854 | 0.63% | 0.63% |
| 2002 | 23,943,973 | 7,284,753 | 0.54% | 0.76% |
| 2003 | 24,090,380 | 7,339,001 | 0.61% | 0.74% |
| 2004 | 24,254,943 | 7,389,625 | 0.68% | 0.69% |
| 2005 | 24,396,433 | 7,437,115 | 0.58% | 0.64% |
| 2006 | 24,524,507 | 7,483,934 | 0.52% | 0.63% |
| 2007 | 24,646,383 | 7,551,117 | 0.5% | 0.9% |
| 2008 | 24,764,618 | 7,647,675 | 0.48% | 1.28% |
| 2009 | 24,878,332 | 7,743,831 | 0.46% | 1.26% |
| 2010 | 24,987,258 | 7,824,909 | 0.44% | 1.05% |
| 2011 | 25,097,874 | 7,912,398 | 0.44% | 1.12% |
| 2012 | 25,211,728 | 7,996,861 | 0.45% | 1.07% |
| 2013 | 25,329,451 | 8,089,346 | 0.47% | 1.16% |
| 2014 | 25,451,262 | 8,188,649 | 0.48% | 1.23% |
| 2015 | 25,575,350 | 8,282,396 | 0.49% | 1.14% |
| 2016 | 25,698,326 | 8,373,338 | 0.48% | 1.1% |
| 2017 | 25,817,709 | 8,451,840 | 0.46% | 0.94% |
| 2018 | 25,931,147 | 8,514,329 | 0.44% | 0.74% |
| 2019 | 26,037,632 | 8,575,280 | 0.41% | 0.72% |
| 2020 | 26,136,312 | 8,638,167 | 0.38% | 0.73% |
| 2021 | 26,232,534 | 8,704,546 | 0.37% | 0.77% |
| 2022 | 26,328,845 | 8,777,088 | 0.37% | 0.83% |
| 2023 | 26,418,204 | 8,888,822 | 0.34% | 1.27% |
| 2024 | 26,498,823 | 9,005,582 | 0.31% | 1.31% |
| 2025 | 26,571,033 | 9,051,441 | 0.27% | 0.51% |
| 2026 | 26,633,682 | 9,092,200 | 0.24% | 0.45% |
| 2027 | 26,686,492 | 9,128,649 | 0.2% | 0.4% |
| 2028 | 26,729,261 | 9,161,558 | 0.16% | 0.36% |
| 2029 | 26,762,008 | 9,190,268 | 0.12% | 0.31% |
| 2030 | 26,784,894 | 9,215,844 | 0.09% | 0.28% |
| 2031 | 26,797,946 | 9,239,801 | 0.05% | 0.26% |
| 2032 | 26,801,071 | 9,260,664 | 0.01% | 0.23% |
| 2033 | 26,795,061 | 9,278,524 | -0.02% | 0.19% |
| 2034 | 26,780,481 | 9,295,500 | -0.05% | 0.18% |
| 2035 | 26,757,705 | 9,310,659 | -0.09% | 0.16% |
| 2036 | 26,727,309 | 9,323,296 | -0.11% | 0.14% |
| 2037 | 26,689,907 | 9,334,565 | -0.14% | 0.12% |
| 2038 | 26,646,323 | 9,344,395 | -0.16% | 0.11% |
| 2039 | 26,596,967 | 9,353,187 | -0.19% | 0.09% |
| 2040 | 26,542,417 | 9,363,095 | -0.21% | 0.11% |
| 2041 | 26,483,475 | 9,372,148 | -0.22% | 0.1% |
| 2042 | 26,420,812 | 9,380,579 | -0.24% | 0.09% |
| 2043 | 26,354,324 | 9,389,228 | -0.25% | 0.09% |
| 2044 | 26,284,000 | 9,396,409 | -0.27% | 0.08% |
| 2045 | 26,210,196 | 9,402,783 | -0.28% | 0.07% |
| 2046 | 26,132,922 | 9,408,721 | -0.29% | 0.06% |
| 2047 | 26,052,086 | 9,415,274 | -0.31% | 0.07% |
| 2048 | 25,967,581 | 9,422,270 | -0.32% | 0.07% |
| 2049 | 25,879,244 | 9,427,479 | -0.34% | 0.06% |
| 2050 | 25,787,120 | 9,430,133 | -0.36% | 0.03% |
From 2006 to 2016, the population of North Korea increased by 1,173,819 people (a 4.79% growth), while Switzerland gained 889,404 people (a 11.9% growth).
For the next 10 years, from 2016 to 2026, North Korea gained 935,933 (a 3.64% growth), while Switzerland's population increased by 719,260 (a 8.59% growth).
North Korea was ranked 46th most populous country in 2006 and is 56th in 2026. Switzerland was ranked 96th in 2006 and ranked 100th now.
The UN's World Population Prospects forecasts that with changing growth rate trends in 24 years (in 2050) North Korea's population will shrink by 3.18% to 25,787,120 people with a rank change from 56th to 66th. The population of Switzerland will increase by 3.71% to 9,430,133 people and rank change from 100th to 102nd.
Biggest cities by population
|
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| Pyongyang | 2.86M |
| Hamhung | 769K |
| Chongjin | 668K |
| Sunchon | 437K |
| Nampo | 367K |
| Wonsan | 363K |
| Sinuiju | 359K |
| Tanchon | 346K |
| Kaechon | 320K |
| Kaesong | 308K |
|
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| Zurich | 449K |
| Geneva | 207K |
| Basel | 176K |
| Bern | 146K |
| Lausanne | 144K |
| Winterthur | 119K |
| Biel/Bienne | 55.9K |
| Thun | 43.9K |
| Bellinzona | 43.8K |
| Koniz | 43K |
Compare countries by 7 more topics
Population differences between North Korea and Switzerland
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy | 74 years | 84.4 years |
| Average age | 38 years | 43.2 years |
| Median age | 37.3 years | 43.7 years |
| Male:Female ratio | 49.5:50.5 | 49.7:50.3 |
| Fertility rate | 1.78 births per woman | 1.33 births per woman |
| Population density | 570 ppl/mi² | 590 ppl/mi² |
Population map with other countries
Population
Growth rate visualization in other countries
Growth rate
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