Birth rate vs death rate in North Korea
North Korea: Birth rate vs death rate was 12.95 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Birth rate vs death rate in North Korea, 1950–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for birth rate vs death rate in North Korea is 12.95, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.5% on the previous year and down 3.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, birth rate vs death rate in North Korea peaked at 40.62 in 1950 and was at its lowest, 12.95, in 2023.
North Korea ranks 122nd of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Birth rate vs death rate in North Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 40.62 | — |
| 1951 | 22.95 | -43.5% |
| 1952 | 23.77 | +3.6% |
| 1953 | 28.25 | +18.9% |
| 1954 | 32.14 | +13.7% |
| 1955 | 34.02 | +5.8% |
| 1956 | 32.98 | -3.1% |
| 1957 | 40.18 | +21.8% |
| 1958 | 40.41 | +0.6% |
| 1959 | 34.38 | -14.9% |
| 1960 | 34.84 | +1.3% |
| 1961 | 32.31 | -7.3% |
| 1962 | 33.99 | +5.2% |
| 1963 | 36.13 | +6.3% |
| 1964 | 35.39 | -2.0% |
| 1965 | 35.4 | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 36.59 | +3.4% |
| 1967 | 39.31 | +7.4% |
| 1968 | 37.05 | -5.7% |
| 1969 | 36.22 | -2.2% |
| 1970 | 35.28 | -2.6% |
| 1971 | 33.41 | -5.3% |
| 1972 | 33.68 | +0.8% |
| 1973 | 28.18 | -16.3% |
| 1974 | 25.56 | -9.3% |
| 1975 | 23.95 | -6.3% |
| 1976 | 21.51 | -10.2% |
| 1977 | 20.37 | -5.3% |
| 1978 | 20.07 | -1.5% |
| 1979 | 20.2 | +0.7% |
| 1980 | 20.1 | -0.5% |
| 1981 | 20.82 | +3.6% |
| 1982 | 20.64 | -0.9% |
| 1983 | 20.48 | -0.8% |
| 1984 | 20.4 | -0.4% |
| 1985 | 20.38 | -0.1% |
| 1986 | 20.41 | +0.1% |
| 1987 | 20.32 | -0.4% |
| 1988 | 20.24 | -0.4% |
| 1989 | 20.21 | -0.2% |
| 1990 | 20.45 | +1.2% |
| 1991 | 20.61 | +0.8% |
| 1992 | 20.52 | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 20.36 | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 20.41 | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 20.34 | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 20.02 | -1.6% |
| 1997 | 19.39 | -3.1% |
| 1998 | 18.86 | -2.7% |
| 1999 | 18.26 | -3.2% |
| 2000 | 17.52 | -4.1% |
| 2001 | 16.89 | -3.6% |
| 2002 | 16.05 | -5.0% |
| 2003 | 15.32 | -4.6% |
| 2004 | 14.6 | -4.7% |
| 2005 | 13.9 | -4.8% |
| 2006 | 14.02 | +0.8% |
| 2007 | 13.86 | -1.2% |
| 2008 | 13.92 | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 13.4 | -3.7% |
| 2010 | 13.29 | -0.8% |
| 2011 | 13.27 | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 13.32 | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 13.36 | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 13.41 | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 13.42 | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 13.46 | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 13.47 | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 13.43 | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 13.4 | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 13.39 | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 13.27 | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 13.15 | -0.9% |
| 2023 | 12.95 | -1.5% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 12.95 is below the median for low income countries, which is 32.09, 40% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 12.95 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 15.94, 81% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Birth rate vs death rate in North Korea changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | -43.5% | 40.62 | 22.95 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 32.97 | 22.95 | 40.62 | 10 |
| 1960s | 35.72 | 32.31 | 39.31 | 10 |
| 1970s | 26.22 | 20.07 | 35.28 | 10 |
| 1980s | 20.4 | 20.1 | 20.82 | 10 |
| 1990s | 19.92 | 18.26 | 20.61 | 10 |
| 2000s | 14.95 | 13.4 | 17.52 | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.38 | 13.27 | 13.47 | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.19 | 12.95 | 13.39 | 4 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
More health data for North Korea
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 767 (2100)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.16 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.2456 % change on previous year (2090)
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2022)
- Measles - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases, per capita 0 units per person (2022)
- Population ages 15-64, total, annual growth rate -0.1528 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, total, per capita 0.6836 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, female, per capita 0.073 units per person (2025)
- Pertussis - number of reported cases, per capita 0 units per person (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is birth rate vs death rate in North Korea?
- Birth rate vs death rate in North Korea was 12.95 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest birth rate vs death rate recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 40.62 in 1950.
- What is the lowest birth rate vs death rate recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.95 in 2023.
- How does North Korea rank for birth rate vs death rate?
- North Korea ranks 122nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is birth rate vs death rate rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this North Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Birth rate vs death rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).