Korea, Rep. vs Korea, Dem. People's Rep.
Head-to-head on World Bank economic and development indicators.
Comparing Korea, Rep. and Korea, Dem. People's Rep.: the larger economy is about equal ($1.88T vs — GDP), while the higher GDP per capita belongs to neither clearly ($36,239 vs —). Life expectancy is higher in Korea, Rep. (83.6 vs 73.7 years). The full side-by-side table is below. All figures are World Bank, latest available year.
Source: World Bank Open Data. Data as of June 2026.
Korea, Rep. vs Korea, Dem. People's Rep.: side by side
| Indicator | Korea, Rep. | Korea, Dem. People's Rep. | Leads |
|---|---|---|---|
| GDP (current US$) | $1.88T | — | — |
| GDP per capita (current US$) | $36,239 | — | — |
| Population, total | 51,751,065 | 26,498,823 | Korea, Rep. |
| Population growth (annual %) | 0.1% | 0.3% | Korea, Dem. People's Rep. |
| GDP growth (annual %) | 2.0% | — | — |
| Inflation, consumer prices (annual %) | 2.3% | — | — |
| Unemployment, total (% of labour force, modelled ILO) | 2.7% | 3.5% | Korea, Rep. |
| Life expectancy at birth, total (years) | 83.6 | 73.7 | Korea, Rep. |
| Individuals using the Internet (% of population) | 97.9% | 0.0% | Korea, Rep. |
| Urban population (% of total) | 81.2% | 63.9% | Korea, Rep. |
| CO2 emissions per capita (tonnes) | 11.36 | 2.50 | Korea, Dem. People's Rep. |
Source: World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0), retrieved June 2026. Values are each indicator's latest available year, which can differ between the two countries.
Who leads on what
- GDP (size of economy): neither (tie or no data)
- GDP per capita (income): neither (tie or no data)
- Life expectancy: Korea, Rep.
- Internet users: Korea, Rep.
- Lower inflation: neither (tie or no data)
- Lower unemployment: Korea, Rep.
Frequently asked questions
Is Korea, Rep. or Korea, Dem. People's Rep. richer?
The two are close on GDP per capita — Korea, Rep. at $36,239 versus — for Korea, Dem. People's Rep. (World Bank). By total GDP, the larger economy is roughly equal ($1.88T vs —).
Which has a bigger economy, Korea, Rep. or Korea, Dem. People's Rep.?
The two economies are similar in size: Korea, Rep.'s GDP is $1.88T and Korea, Dem. People's Rep.'s is — in current US dollars (World Bank, latest available year).
Which is bigger by population, Korea, Rep. or Korea, Dem. People's Rep.?
Korea, Rep. is more populous: Korea, Rep. has about 51.8 million people and Korea, Dem. People's Rep. about 26.5 million.
Where do people live longer, Korea, Rep. or Korea, Dem. People's Rep.?
Life expectancy is higher in Korea, Rep.: 83.6 years in Korea, Rep. versus 73.7 in Korea, Dem. People's Rep. (World Bank).
Full profiles & more comparisons
Last updated: 2026-06-20