Place profile

How big is North Korea?

North Korea covers 120,538 km² (46,540 sq mi) of land and had a population of 26.6 million in 2025, about 220 people per km² (571 per sq mi). In more familiar terms, it is about 87% of Florida.

Compare this place

Area: 120,538 km² · 46,540 sq mi
Reference date: 2025-01-01
Population: 26,571,000
Reference date: 2025-07-01
Population density: 220.4 people/km² · 571 per sq mi
Calculated from the population and area above; their reference dates may differ.
On a familiar scale: ≈ 87% of Florida
The closest rung on the US reference ladder (Census Bureau land area); see the sources below.
Land per resident: 4,536 m² of land per resident
The inverse of population density, from the same area and population figures.

The outline is fitted to this frame, not a map for measuring distances. Outlying islands may make the main landmass appear smaller.

Scope and definitions

United Nations surface area and 2025 medium-variant population estimate for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

Average administrative density does not describe population distribution in every neighborhood. Compare population definitions and reference dates alongside the numbers.

Place guide

How should this North Korea profile be read?

North Korea is represented as the complete Democratic People’s Republic of Korea using a United Nations country profile. Its population is an estimate rather than a household-register count.

National scale and terrain

The outline covers the northern Korean Peninsula, including mountain regions and inland borders. Total surface area does not mean developed or habitable land.

Taiwan is the useful paired reference because their populations are much closer than their land totals.

How to use the population estimate

The UN estimate supports broad international comparison but should not be described as a directly observed census count.

Atlas keeps the date and source visible and avoids extending the number into political or economic conclusions.