CNY
…
KPW
…
Land Area
China
9,596,961 km²
Largest
North Korea
120,538 km²
1.3% of largest
China is 79.62× larger than North Korea
Population
China
LARGEST
1.41B
PEOPLE
North Korea
1.9% OF LARGEST
26.57M
PEOPLE
China has 52.94× the population of North Korea
GDP
China
LARGEST
$19.5T
North Korea
0.2% OF LARGEST
$44.8B
Armed Forces
Active Personnel
China
LARGEST
2.04M
TROOPS
North Korea
62.9% OF LARGEST
1.28M
TROOPS
China has 1.59× the active personnel of North Korea
Air Force
China
LARGEST
3.29K
AIRCRAFT
North Korea
28.8% OF LARGEST
946
AIRCRAFT
China has 3.47× the aircraft of North Korea
Naval Assets
North Korea
China
Wealth
Gold Reserves
China
LARGEST
2,279.6
Metric Tonnes
North Korea
Foreign-Exchange Reserves
China
LARGEST
$3.27T
Reserves · excl. gold
North Korea
$0B
Reserves · excl. gold
Billionaires
China
MOST
473
billionaires
North Korea
—
Oil
Proven Reserves
China
LARGEST
26
Billion barrels
Production & Consumption
China
NET IMPORTER
Production
4.1M b/d
Consumption
15.4M b/d
−11.3M b/d net
Trade (Import/Export)
China
$3,753.1B
Exports
$3,753.1B
Imports
$3,219.3B
Trade Balance
+$533.7B
Trade Surplus
North Korea
$0.4B
Exports
$0.4B
Imports
$2.4B
Trade Balance
$-2.0B
Trade Deficit
Drinks per Person
Coffee
kg / person / yr
China
consumption
North Korea
Tea
kg / person / yr
China
consumption
North Korea
Beer
litres / person / yr
China
consumption
North Korea
Wine
litres / person / yr
China
consumption
North Korea
Alcohol
litres pure alcohol / person / yr
China
consumption
North Korea
consumption
Smoking
% of adults 15+ who smoke
China
North Korea
Per-capita — consumption where available, else FAOSTAT supply · alcohol = litres of pure alcohol; smoking = % of adults 15+ (WHO)
Olympic Medals
China
330
Gold
262
Silver
227
Bronze
819
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 727
❄ Winter: 92
North Korea
16
Gold
19
Silver
28
Bronze
63
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 61
❄ Winter: 2
Religious Demographics
Religious Distribution
Religious Composition by Country
China
North Korea
Age Demographics
Median Age
China
39.0
YEARS
10
30
50
70
North Korea
34.6
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Age Distribution
Population breakdown by age bracket (percentage)
Demographic Insights
Age Gap
China is 4.4 years older (median) than North Korea
Youth Population
North Korea has the highest youth population at 41.9% (under 30)
Elderly Population
China has the highest elderly population at 19.0% (60+)
Global Statistics
| Metric |
China
|
North Korea
|
|---|---|---|
| Travel & Mobility | ||
| Passport Power visa-free destinations |
85
|
— |
| Tourist Arrivals per year |
65.7M
|
— |
| Culture & Prestige | ||
| Nobel Laureates all-time |
8
|
0
|
| 3-Michelin-Star Restaurants current guide |
12
|
0
|
| UNESCO Heritage Sites inscribed sites |
56
|
3
|
Figures as of 2026. Sources: IMF, EIA/OPEC, Henley Passport Index, UNWTO, Forbes, Michelin Guide, Nobel Foundation, UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
Cost of Living
|
Metric
All indices use New York City as base (100)
Lower values indicate lower costs.
|
China
|
North Korea
|
|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index |
|
N/A |
| Rent Index |
|
N/A |
| Groceries Index |
|
N/A |
| Restaurant Price Index |
|
N/A |
| Local Purchasing Power |
|
N/A |
| Common Expenses Comparison | ||
| Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant (USD) | $5 | N/A |
| Three-Course Meal for 2 (USD) | $25 | N/A |
| Monthly Rent - City Center (USD) | $600 | N/A |
| Monthly Rent - Outside Center (USD) | $380 | N/A |
| Monthly Utilities (USD) | $50 | N/A |
| Internet (60 Mbps, USD) | $20 | N/A |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (USD) | $30 | N/A |
Health
Healthcare spending, capacity and outcomes. Sources: World Bank / WHO — the year tag shows each figure’s vintage; “—” means the country doesn’t report that metric.
Health spending / person
China
North Korea
Physicians per 1,000
North Korea
China
Hospital beds per 1,000
North Korea
China
Diabetes prevalence
China
North Korea
Obesity prevalence
North Korea
China
Suicide rate per 100k
North Korea
China
Want the long view?
GDP, population, reserves & trade for China vs North Korea — charted over the decades.
Basic Information
| Metric | China | North Korea |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1406585000 | 26571036 |
| Area (sq km) | 9596961 | 120538 |
| Capital | Beijing | Pyongyang |
| Official Language | Mandarin Chinese | Korean |
| Currency | Renminbi (Yuan, CNY) | North Korean Won (KPW) |
| Government Type | Unitary one-party socialist republic | Unitary one-party socialist republic |
Military Strength
| Metric | China | North Korea |
|---|---|---|
| Active Personnel | 2,035,000 | 1,280,000 |
| Reserve Personnel | 510,000 | 600,000 |
| Total Military Personnel | 2,545,000 | 1,880,000 |
| Defense Budget (USD) | $292,000,000,000 | $3,600,000,000 |
| Tanks | 5,651 | 5,895 |
| Armored Vehicles | 35,000 | 4,060 |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | 4,120 | 2,250 |
| Towed Artillery | 6,246 | 5,500 |
| Rocket Projectors | 2,430 | 5,000 |
Economy
| Metric | China | North Korea |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $19,498,039,388,043 | $44,800,000,000 |
| GDP Per Capita (USD) | $13,862 | $1,686 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 4.6% | 3.5% |
| GINI Index (Income Inequality) | 36.0 | 0.0 |
| Currency | Renminbi (Yuan, CNY) | North Korean Won (KPW) |
| Loading current exchange rates… | ||
Interesting Comparisons & Trivia
Did You Know?
China is 79.6 times larger in area than North Korea.
That's a massive difference!
China has 52.9 times more people than North Korea.
With over a billion people, that's more than 1/8 of humanity!
China has the highest GDP per capita at $13,862 among the selected countries.
China has the largest economy with a GDP of
$19.5 trillion.
China has the largest active military personnel with 2,035,000 troops.
China has the largest air force with 3,285 aircraft.
North Korea has the largest navy with 967 vessels.
China Fact: China produces more than 1.4 billion tons of rice annually, feeding nearly 20% of the world's population.
China vs North Korea: Key Comparisons
Economy: China's GDP of $19.5T is 435.2x larger than North Korea's $45B — both among the world's largest economies.
Population: China's population of 1.4B is 52.9x larger than North Korea's 27M.
Area: China covers 9,596,961 km², making it 79.6x larger than North Korea.
Military: China fields 2Million active troops vs North Korea's 1.3Million.
Trade: China runs a trade surplus of $534B while North Korea has a trade deficit of $2B.
Life Expectancy: China leads with a life expectancy of 78 years vs North Korea's 74.
Data compiled from World Bank, IMF, Global Firepower, SIPRI, Numbeo, and Pew Research.
Last updated August 2026.
Sources & methodology