North Korea vs South Sudan: Population in the largest city
North Korea
18.8%
in 2025
South Sudan
18.9%
in 2025
North Korea rank
117th
South Sudan rank
116th
Population in the largest city over time
- North Korea
- South Sudan
How they compare
South Sudan currently reports 18.9% against 18.8% in North Korea, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was North Korea ahead.
North Korea ranks 117th and South Sudan ranks 116th of 153 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, North Korea averaged higher in 4 and South Sudan in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | North Korea | South Sudan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 12.4% | 9.7% | 2.7% | North Korea |
| 1970s | 14.0% | 18.5% | 4.4% | South Sudan |
| 1980s | 19.2% | 20.1% | 0.9% | South Sudan |
| 1990s | 20.4% | 16.8% | 3.7% | North Korea |
| 2000s | 19.3% | 15.9% | 3.4% | North Korea |
| 2010s | 18.9% | 16.0% | 3.0% | North Korea |
| 2020s | 18.8% | 18.9% | 0.1% | South Sudan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher population in the largest city, North Korea or South Sudan?
- South Sudan, at 18.9% against 18.8% in North Korea as of 2025.
- What is the difference in population in the largest city between North Korea and South Sudan?
- 0.1%, with South Sudan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for North Korea and South Sudan?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do North Korea and South Sudan rank globally for population in the largest city?
- North Korea ranks 117th and South Sudan ranks 116th of 153 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as Population in the largest city (% of urban population). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Population in largest city is the percentage of a country's urban population living in that country's largest metropolitan area.