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South Korea vs North Korea: population pyramids compared

South Korea is about 1.9 times as large as North Korea, but size is only part of the story. Compare the two age structures on one percentage scale for 2026 and 2050, with every indicator side by side.

Estimate or projection?

UN estimates run through 2023; figures from 2024 onward are medium-scenario projections.

South Korea and North Korea in 2026

South Korea population pyramid

2026 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex

Medium projection
South Korea population pyramid for 2026: males on the left and females on the right Male share Female share 100+ males: 684 (0.0%) 100+ females: 12,428 (0.0%) 100+ 95–99 males: 11,844 (0.0%) 95–99 females: 78,663 (0.2%) 95–99 90–94 males: 82,873 (0.2%) 90–94 females: 269,594 (0.5%) 90–94 85–89 males: 275,754 (0.5%) 85–89 females: 559,159 (1.1%) 85–89 80–84 males: 529,063 (1.0%) 80–84 females: 786,090 (1.5%) 80–84 75–79 males: 835,452 (1.6%) 75–79 females: 1,024,362 (2.0%) 75–79 70–74 males: 1,275,951 (2.5%) 70–74 females: 1,444,420 (2.8%) 70–74 65–69 males: 1,874,646 (3.6%) 65–69 females: 1,998,626 (3.9%) 65–69 60–64 males: 2,020,054 (3.9%) 60–64 females: 2,038,251 (4.0%) 60–64 55–59 males: 2,184,638 (4.2%) 55–59 females: 2,193,613 (4.3%) 55–59 50–54 males: 2,112,897 (4.1%) 50–54 females: 2,062,726 (4.0%) 50–54 45–49 males: 2,008,271 (3.9%) 45–49 females: 1,927,543 (3.7%) 45–49 40–44 males: 1,897,659 (3.7%) 40–44 females: 1,768,961 (3.4%) 40–44 35–39 males: 1,753,722 (3.4%) 35–39 females: 1,562,905 (3.0%) 35–39 30–34 males: 1,965,051 (3.8%) 30–34 females: 1,699,289 (3.3%) 30–34 25–29 males: 1,752,250 (3.4%) 25–29 females: 1,596,531 (3.1%) 25–29 20–24 males: 1,344,765 (2.6%) 20–24 females: 1,244,313 (2.4%) 20–24 15–19 males: 1,205,370 (2.3%) 15–19 females: 1,136,089 (2.2%) 15–19 10–14 males: 1,142,171 (2.2%) 10–14 females: 1,088,176 (2.1%) 10–14 5–9 males: 818,472 (1.6%) 5–9 females: 778,681 (1.5%) 5–9 0–4 males: 635,278 (1.2%) 0–4 females: 603,105 (1.2%) 0–4 10%5% Age 5%10%

North Korea population pyramid

2026 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex

Medium projection
North Korea population pyramid for 2026: males on the left and females on the right Male share Female share 100+ males: 38 (0.0%) 100+ females: 413 (0.0%) 100+ 95–99 males: 887 (0.0%) 95–99 females: 5,467 (0.0%) 95–99 90–94 males: 10,881 (0.0%) 90–94 females: 38,370 (0.1%) 90–94 85–89 males: 59,493 (0.2%) 85–89 females: 142,206 (0.5%) 85–89 80–84 males: 158,076 (0.6%) 80–84 females: 279,998 (1.1%) 80–84 75–79 males: 266,089 (1.0%) 75–79 females: 380,281 (1.4%) 75–79 70–74 males: 358,303 (1.3%) 70–74 females: 427,147 (1.6%) 70–74 65–69 males: 633,459 (2.4%) 65–69 females: 703,861 (2.6%) 65–69 60–64 males: 797,957 (3.0%) 60–64 females: 846,189 (3.2%) 60–64 55–59 males: 1,045,876 (3.9%) 55–59 females: 1,075,056 (4.0%) 55–59 50–54 males: 956,194 (3.6%) 50–54 females: 962,142 (3.6%) 50–54 45–49 males: 801,067 (3.0%) 45–49 females: 792,977 (3.0%) 45–49 40–44 males: 889,427 (3.3%) 40–44 females: 872,482 (3.3%) 40–44 35–39 males: 956,927 (3.6%) 35–39 females: 932,566 (3.5%) 35–39 30–34 males: 1,008,563 (3.8%) 30–34 females: 975,856 (3.7%) 30–34 25–29 males: 968,441 (3.6%) 25–29 females: 931,774 (3.5%) 25–29 20–24 males: 869,346 (3.3%) 20–24 females: 832,833 (3.1%) 20–24 15–19 males: 830,105 (3.1%) 15–19 females: 791,093 (3.0%) 15–19 10–14 males: 845,898 (3.2%) 10–14 females: 803,716 (3.0%) 10–14 5–9 males: 876,006 (3.3%) 5–9 females: 830,049 (3.1%) 5–9 0–4 males: 861,678 (3.2%) 0–4 females: 814,501 (3.1%) 0–4 10%5% Age 5%10%

Key differences between South Korea and North Korea

Age. South Korea is the older population, with a median age of 46.2 years against 36.8 in North Korea — a gap of 9.4 years. North Korea has the larger share of children (18.9% under 15 versus 9.8%), while South Korea has the larger share aged 65 and over (21.4% versus 13.0%).

Births and survival. North Korea’s fertility rate of 1.75 is below the replacement level, and South Korea’s 0.76 is below it. Life expectancy at birth is 84.6 years in South Korea and 74.0 in North Korea.

Dependency. The total age dependency ratio is 45.5 in South Korea (14.3 children and 31.2 older people per 100 aged 15–64) and 46.8 in North Korea (27.7 and 19.1). Similar totals can hide very different mixes of young and old.

Outlook. Between 2026 and 2050, the UN medium scenario has South Korea’s population declines by 13% and North Korea’s declines by 3%. These are scenario results, not forecasts; how projections work explains the assumptions.

South Korea vs North Korea: indicators side by side

IndicatorSouth KoreaNorth Korea
Population, 202651,600,38826,633,691
Median age46.2 years36.8 years
Under age 159.8%18.9%
Aged 15–6468.7%68.1%
Aged 65+21.4%13.0%
Age dependency ratio45.546.8
Fertility rate0.761.75
Life expectancy at birth84.6 years74.0 years
Annual growth-0.1%+0.2%
Males per 100 females99.498.2
Population, 205045,143,13425,787,127
Change, 2026–2050-12.5%-3.2%
Population, 210021,848,79119,512,149
Peak year20202032
Global population rank#31#56

2026, 2050, and 2100 values are UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium-scenario projections.

How the two pyramids could look in 2050

The same scale is kept for the projected charts, so a narrowing base or widening top can be compared directly with the 2026 shapes above.

South Korea population pyramid

2050 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex

Medium projection
South Korea population pyramid for 2050: males on the left and females on the right Male share Female share 100+ males: 13,110 (0.0%) 100+ females: 80,964 (0.2%) 100+ 95–99 males: 103,281 (0.2%) 95–99 females: 313,307 (0.7%) 95–99 90–94 males: 446,632 (1.0%) 90–94 females: 877,755 (1.9%) 90–94 85–89 males: 928,793 (2.1%) 85–89 females: 1,385,486 (3.1%) 85–89 80–84 males: 1,372,563 (3.0%) 80–84 females: 1,748,672 (3.9%) 80–84 75–79 males: 1,684,841 (3.7%) 75–79 females: 1,915,579 (4.2%) 75–79 70–74 males: 1,679,565 (3.7%) 70–74 females: 1,785,201 (4.0%) 70–74 65–69 males: 1,788,395 (4.0%) 65–69 females: 1,790,849 (4.0%) 65–69 60–64 males: 1,606,574 (3.6%) 60–64 females: 1,501,319 (3.3%) 60–64 55–59 males: 1,829,595 (4.1%) 55–59 females: 1,622,388 (3.6%) 55–59 50–54 males: 1,677,248 (3.7%) 50–54 females: 1,545,397 (3.4%) 50–54 45–49 males: 1,324,649 (2.9%) 45–49 females: 1,251,032 (2.8%) 45–49 40–44 males: 1,231,489 (2.7%) 40–44 females: 1,195,056 (2.6%) 40–44 35–39 males: 1,244,759 (2.8%) 35–39 females: 1,216,500 (2.7%) 35–39 30–34 males: 1,008,485 (2.2%) 30–34 females: 989,013 (2.2%) 30–34 25–29 males: 796,987 (1.8%) 25–29 females: 781,375 (1.7%) 25–29 20–24 males: 785,098 (1.7%) 20–24 females: 761,018 (1.7%) 20–24 15–19 males: 675,318 (1.5%) 15–19 females: 650,608 (1.4%) 15–19 10–14 males: 617,393 (1.4%) 10–14 females: 592,774 (1.3%) 10–14 5–9 males: 609,735 (1.4%) 5–9 females: 582,295 (1.3%) 5–9 0–4 males: 581,093 (1.3%) 0–4 females: 550,940 (1.2%) 0–4 10%5% Age 5%10%

North Korea population pyramid

2050 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex

Medium projection
North Korea population pyramid for 2050: males on the left and females on the right Male share Female share 100+ males: 514 (0.0%) 100+ females: 1,971 (0.0%) 100+ 95–99 males: 5,641 (0.0%) 95–99 females: 14,172 (0.1%) 95–99 90–94 males: 46,203 (0.2%) 90–94 females: 90,152 (0.3%) 90–94 85–89 males: 159,643 (0.6%) 85–89 females: 254,322 (1.0%) 85–89 80–84 males: 406,264 (1.6%) 80–84 females: 552,707 (2.1%) 80–84 75–79 males: 582,673 (2.3%) 75–79 females: 707,846 (2.7%) 75–79 70–74 males: 579,111 (2.2%) 70–74 females: 647,085 (2.5%) 70–74 65–69 males: 715,338 (2.8%) 65–69 females: 757,169 (2.9%) 65–69 60–64 males: 827,522 (3.2%) 60–64 females: 847,155 (3.3%) 60–64 55–59 males: 920,607 (3.6%) 55–59 females: 922,909 (3.6%) 55–59 50–54 males: 924,697 (3.6%) 50–54 females: 911,927 (3.5%) 50–54 45–49 males: 850,024 (3.3%) 45–49 females: 829,091 (3.2%) 45–49 40–44 males: 791,636 (3.1%) 40–44 females: 765,159 (3.0%) 40–44 35–39 males: 800,603 (3.1%) 35–39 females: 768,789 (3.0%) 35–39 30–34 males: 837,608 (3.2%) 30–34 females: 799,741 (3.1%) 30–34 25–29 males: 835,846 (3.2%) 25–29 females: 794,262 (3.1%) 25–29 20–24 males: 782,548 (3.0%) 20–24 females: 740,739 (2.9%) 20–24 15–19 males: 714,551 (2.8%) 15–19 females: 675,162 (2.6%) 15–19 10–14 males: 670,676 (2.6%) 10–14 females: 633,279 (2.5%) 10–14 5–9 males: 670,153 (2.6%) 5–9 females: 632,597 (2.5%) 5–9 0–4 males: 678,351 (2.6%) 0–4 females: 640,685 (2.5%) 0–4 10%5% Age 5%10%

What shapes South Korea’s pyramid

South Korea’s pyramid shows one of the sharpest base contractions anywhere: ages 0–4 are under a third the width of 55–59 as fertility fell below one. Read the full South Korea analysis.

What shapes North Korea’s pyramid

North Korea’s pyramid still carries the Korean War: a deep wartime birth deficit and missing men, now beneath a near-column shaped by moderate fertility. Read the full North Korea analysis.

Explore each country in depth

Questions about South Korea and North Korea

Which population is older, South Korea or North Korea?

South Korea is older: its projected 2026 median age is 46.2 years, compared with 36.8 in North Korea.

Which has a higher fertility rate, South Korea or North Korea?

North Korea has the higher total fertility rate in 2026: 1.75 births per woman, against 0.76 in South Korea.

Will South Korea or North Korea have more people in 2050?

Under the UN medium scenario, South Korea is projected to be larger in 2050, with 45.1M people against 25.8M.