Home › World › North Korea

North Korea: cities by population

By James Burfield, SEO consultant, Bath · Page updated 18 September 2026 · UN World Population Prospects

North Korea has a population of 26,633,691 (UN estimate, 2026), with Pyongyang as its capital. The 50 largest of its 118 recorded towns and cities, ranked.

+13%

since 2000 (23,665,910)

-3%

projected by 2050 (25,787,127)

221

people per km²

UN estimates to 2026; the dashed line is the medium-variant projection to 2050, a forecast rather than a measurement. Source: World Population Prospects 2024.

Full UN series, 1950 to 2050

Year	Population
1950	11,116,736
1975	16,971,055
2000	23,665,910
2005	24,396,433
2010	24,987,258
2015	25,575,350
2020	26,136,312
2025	26,571,036
2026	26,633,691
2030 projected	26,784,904
2050 projected	25,787,127

Medium variant. Figures from 2026 onward are projections, not measurements.

Figures are the latest available in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0), which draws on national censuses of varying dates — treat them as recent, not same-year. Country totals are UN World Population Prospects 2024 (medium variant) where the UN lists the country separately; the handful it reports under a parent state keep a GeoNames figure and are marked as such. Sources & method.

Largest cities in North Korea

#	Place	Region	Population
1	Pyongyang	Pyongyang	3,222,000
2	Hamhŭng	South Hamgyong	559,056
3	Namp’o	Nampo	455,000
4	Sunch’ŏn	South Pyongan	437,000
5	Hŭngnam	South Hamgyong	346,082
6	Kaesŏng	Kaesong	338,155
7	Wŏnsan	Kangwŏn-do	329,207
8	Chongjin	North Hamgyong	327,000
9	Man’gyŏngdae-ri	Pyongyang	321,690
10	Kaech’ŏn	South Pyongan	319,554
11	Sariwŏn-si	North Hwanghae	310,100
12	Sinŭiju	P'yŏngan-bukto	288,112
13	Tŏkch’ŏn	South Pyongan	237,133
14	Haeju	South Hwanghae	222,396
15	Kanggye	Chagang	209,530
16	Changam-ch’on	South Hamgyong	207,299
17	Hyesan	Yanggang-do	192,680
18	Paech’ŏn-ŭp	South Hwanghae	159,825
19	Sinp’o	South Hamgyong	152,759
20	Songnim-ni	North Hwanghae	152,425
21	Ch’ŏngdan-ŭp	South Hwanghae	142,607
22	Sinch’ŏn-ŭp	South Hwanghae	141,407
23	Paek'ak	South Pyongan	125,924
24	Chaeryŏng-ni	South Pyongan	125,631
25	Manp’o	Chagang	116,760
26	Ŭllyul	South Hwanghae	107,997
27	Kangnyŏng	South Hwanghae	106,827
28	Kangsŏn	South Pyongan	102,436
29	P’yŏngsŏng	South Pyongan	100,000
30	Hwasŏng	North Hamgyong	99,557
31	Myŏnggan-dong	North Hamgyong	99,557
32	Hyesan-dong	Yanggang-do	97,794
33	Ŭnch’ŏn-ŭp	South Hwanghae	95,597
34	Kwail-ŭp	South Hwanghae	89,895
35	Ŭndŏk	North Hamgyong	89,244
36	Ŏrang	North Hamgyong	87,757
37	Samch’ŏn	South Hwanghae	86,042
38	Sinwŏn-ŭp	South Hwanghae	83,161
39	Pongch’ŏn-ŭp	South Hwanghae	79,740
40	Yuktae-dong	South Hamgyong	76,427
41	Hongwŏn	South Hamgyong	70,923
42	Hwadae	North Hamgyong	67,677
43	Rajin	Rason	66,224
44	Namyang-nodongjagu	North Hamgyong	65,956
45	Myŏngch’ŏn	North Hamgyong	65,797
46	T’aet’an-ŭp	South Hwanghae	64,258
47	Ongjin	South Hwanghae	64,247
48	Kilju	North Hamgyong	63,652
49	Chaeryŏng-ŭp	South Hwanghae	53,330
50	Anju	South Pyongan	50,196

Twenty years earlier: North Korea in the 2005 World Gazetteer — population then 23,115,202.

Common questions

What is the population of North Korea?

North Korea has a population of 26,633,691, the UN World Population Prospects estimate for 2026. The UN's medium-variant projection for 2050 is 25,787,127 — a forecast, not a measurement.

What is the capital of North Korea?

Pyongyang.

Go deeper

Pyongyang

The largest place we record in North Korea: 3,222,000 people

North Korea in 2005

The World Gazetteer's archive edition: 23,115,202 then

All 246 countries

Every country and territory, ranked by population