Population ages 65 and above (% of total population) in North Korea
North Korea: Population ages 65 and above (% of total population) was 12.7% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Population ages 65 and above in North Korea, 1960–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population ages 65 and above in North Korea is 12.7%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is up 2.5% on the previous year and up 16.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population ages 65 and above in North Korea peaked at 12.7% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 3.3%, in 1960.
North Korea ranks 78th of 218 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Population ages 65 and above (% of total population) in North Korea, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 3.3% | — |
| 1961 | 3.3% | +1.8% |
| 1962 | 3.4% | +1.5% |
| 1963 | 3.4% | +1.0% |
| 1964 | 3.5% | +0.7% |
| 1965 | 3.5% | +0.6% |
| 1966 | 3.5% | +0.4% |
| 1967 | 3.5% | +0.1% |
| 1968 | 3.5% | -0.1% |
| 1969 | 3.5% | -0.2% |
| 1970 | 3.5% | -0.3% |
| 1971 | 3.5% | -0.3% |
| 1972 | 3.4% | -0.4% |
| 1973 | 3.4% | -0.2% |
| 1974 | 3.4% | +0.2% |
| 1975 | 3.5% | +0.4% |
| 1976 | 3.5% | +0.7% |
| 1977 | 3.5% | +0.9% |
| 1978 | 3.6% | +1.0% |
| 1979 | 3.6% | +1.0% |
| 1980 | 3.6% | +1.1% |
| 1981 | 3.7% | +1.3% |
| 1982 | 3.7% | +1.6% |
| 1983 | 3.8% | +1.9% |
| 1984 | 3.9% | +2.2% |
| 1985 | 4.0% | +2.3% |
| 1986 | 4.1% | +2.4% |
| 1987 | 4.2% | +2.4% |
| 1988 | 4.3% | +2.5% |
| 1989 | 4.4% | +2.6% |
| 1990 | 4.5% | +2.7% |
| 1991 | 4.6% | +2.8% |
| 1992 | 4.8% | +2.9% |
| 1993 | 4.9% | +3.0% |
| 1994 | 5.1% | +3.3% |
| 1995 | 5.2% | +3.3% |
| 1996 | 5.4% | +3.3% |
| 1997 | 5.6% | +3.6% |
| 1998 | 5.8% | +4.0% |
| 1999 | 6.1% | +4.5% |
| 2000 | 6.4% | +4.8% |
| 2001 | 6.7% | +5.1% |
| 2002 | 7.1% | +5.2% |
| 2003 | 7.5% | +5.5% |
| 2004 | 7.9% | +5.5% |
| 2005 | 8.2% | +4.9% |
| 2006 | 8.6% | +4.4% |
| 2007 | 8.9% | +3.9% |
| 2008 | 9.3% | +3.4% |
| 2009 | 9.5% | +3.0% |
| 2010 | 9.8% | +2.8% |
| 2011 | 10.1% | +2.8% |
| 2012 | 10.3% | +2.6% |
| 2013 | 10.6% | +2.2% |
| 2014 | 10.8% | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 10.9% | +1.8% |
| 2016 | 11.0% | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 10.9% | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 10.8% | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 10.9% | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 11.1% | +1.5% |
| 2021 | 11.3% | +1.7% |
| 2022 | 11.6% | +2.8% |
| 2023 | 12.0% | +3.8% |
| 2024 | 12.4% | +3.1% |
| 2025 | 12.7% | +2.5% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 12.7% is above the median for low income countries, which is 3.1%, 4.1× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 12.7% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 7.5%, 1.7× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.4% | 3.3% | 3.5% | 10 |
| 1970s | 3.5% | 3.4% | 3.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.0% | 3.6% | 4.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.2% | 4.5% | 6.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 8.0% | 6.4% | 9.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.6% | 9.8% | 11.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.9% | 11.1% | 12.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
More health data for North Korea
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.2456 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.16 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 767 (2100)
- Age population, age 07, female, interpolated 165,782 (2025)
- Perception of the safety of vaccines vs vaccine coverage 99 (2025)
- Age population, age 06, male, interpolated 175,499 (2025)
- Age population, age 06, female, interpolated 166,257 (2025)
- Population, male 49.5% (2025)
- Population, female 50.5% (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, male 9.14 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population ages 65 and above in North Korea?
- Population ages 65 and above in North Korea was 12.7% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest population ages 65 and above recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 12.7% in 2025.
- What is the lowest population ages 65 and above recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.3% in 1960.
- How does North Korea rank for population ages 65 and above?
- North Korea ranks 78th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population ages 65 and above rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this North Korea data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Population ages 65 and above (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Population ages 65 and above as a percentage of the total population. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.