Updated
Overview
Russia has 5.4 times the population of North Korea: 143.51 million people against 26.57 million (2025).
Population
The full table
| Indicator | Russia | North Korea | Years | Factbook, Jan 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | ||||
| GDP (nominal) | $2.56T | — | 2025 | $2.17T / — |
| GDP per capita | $17,547 | — | 2025 | — / — |
| GDP growth | 1.0% | — | 2025 | — / — |
| Inflation | 8.7% | — | 2025 | 6.7% / — |
| Unemployment | Lower: 2.1% | 3.5% | 2025 | — / — |
| Price level (US=100) | 32 | — | 2024 | — / — |
| Avg monthly earnings | $777 | — | 2021 | — / — |
| Minimum wage | $208 | — | 2024 | — / — |
| Big Mac price | $1.74 | — | — | — / — |
| People | ||||
| Population | 143.51 million | 26.57 million | 2025 | 140.13 million / 26.40 million |
| Population growth | -0.1% | 0.3% | 2025 | — / — |
| Median age | 40.3 yrs | 36.5 yrs | 2025 | — / — |
| Fertility rate | 1.46 | 1.77 | 2025 | — / — |
| Life expectancy | 73.4 yrs | Higher: 73.7 yrs | 2024 | — / — |
| Urban population | 75% | 64% | 2025 | — / — |
| Internet users | Higher: 94% | 0% | 2024 / 2004 | — / — |
| Geography | ||||
| Area | 17,098,242 km² | 120,538 km² | — | — / — |
| Population density | 8.4/km² | 220.4/km² | 2025 | — / — |
| Environment | ||||
| CO2 emissions | 1,781 Mt | Lower: 63 Mt | 2024 | — / — |
| CO2 per capita | 12.3 t | Lower: 2.4 t | 2024 | — / — |
| Military | ||||
| Military spending | $148.97B | $1.60B | 2024 / 2018 | — / — |
| Military spending (% GDP) | 7.1% | — | 2024 | — / — |
| Armed forces personnel | 1.5 million | 1.5 million | 2020 | — / — |
Sources by row: World Bank WDI, IMF WEO, UN WPP 2024, ILOSTAT, The Economist. Emphasis marks the stronger figure where one direction is meaningfully better.
Reading the numbers
People and society
North Korea is the younger society: median age 36.5 versus 40.3 years.
Russia is considerably more urbanized: 75% of people live in cities, against 64%.
Internet adoption is higher in Russia (94% vs 0% of the population).
Geography
By land area, Russia is 142 times the size of North Korea: 17,098,242 km² versus 120,538 km².
The two share a land border, which shapes their trade, migration, and security relationship.
North Korea is far more densely settled: 220 people per km² against 8.
Military
Russia spends 93 times as much on defence as North Korea: $148.97B versus $1.60B (World Bank/SIPRI data).
North Korea fields the larger armed forces: 1.5 million personnel against 1.5 million (note: personnel data lags; observation years shown in the table).
Frequently asked
- Is Russia bigger than North Korea?
- Russia is larger by land area. Russia covers 17,098,242 km² while North Korea covers 120,538 km², so Russia is 142 times the size of the other.
- Which has more people, Russia or North Korea?
- Russia has the larger population: 143.51 million versus 26.57 million (World Bank, 2025).
- Who spends more on their military, Russia or North Korea?
- Russia spends more: $148.97B versus $1.60B per year (World Bank, SIPRI-derived data; observation years vary).