KPW
…
RUB
…
Land Area
Russia
17,098,246 km²
Largest
North Korea
120,538 km²
0.7% of largest
Russia is 141.85× larger than North Korea
Population
Russia
LARGEST
143.51M
PEOPLE
North Korea
18.5% OF LARGEST
26.57M
PEOPLE
Russia has 5.40× the population of North Korea
GDP
Russia
LARGEST
$2.56T
North Korea
1.7% OF LARGEST
$44.8B
Armed Forces
Active Personnel
North Korea
LARGEST
1.28M
TROOPS
Russia
70.3% OF LARGEST
900K
TROOPS
North Korea has 1.42× the active personnel of Russia
Air Force
Russia
LARGEST
4.17K
AIRCRAFT
North Korea
22.7% OF LARGEST
946
AIRCRAFT
Russia has 4.41× the aircraft of North Korea
Naval Assets
North Korea
Russia
Wealth
Gold Reserves
Russia
LARGEST
2,332.8
Metric Tonnes
North Korea
Foreign-Exchange Reserves
Russia
LARGEST
$413B
Reserves · excl. gold
North Korea
$0B
Reserves · excl. gold
Billionaires
Russia
MOST
120
billionaires
North Korea
—
Oil
Proven Reserves
Russia
LARGEST
80
Billion barrels
Production & Consumption
Russia
NET EXPORTER
Production
10.8M b/d
Consumption
3.7M b/d
+7.1M b/d net
Trade (Import/Export)
North Korea
$0.4B
Exports
$0.4B
Imports
$2.4B
Trade Balance
$-2.0B
Trade Deficit
Russia
$476.4B
Exports
$476.4B
Imports
$382.4B
Trade Balance
+$94.0B
Trade Surplus
Drinks per Person
Coffee
kg / person / yr
Russia
consumption
North Korea
Tea
kg / person / yr
Russia
consumption
North Korea
Beer
litres / person / yr
Russia
consumption
North Korea
Wine
litres / person / yr
Russia
consumption
North Korea
Alcohol
litres pure alcohol / person / yr
Russia
consumption
North Korea
consumption
Smoking
% of adults 15+ who smoke
Russia
North Korea
Per-capita — consumption where available, else FAOSTAT supply · alcohol = litres of pure alcohol; smoking = % of adults 15+ (WHO)
Olympic Medals
Russia
192
Gold
164
Silver
184
Bronze
540
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 422
❄ Winter: 118
North Korea
16
Gold
19
Silver
28
Bronze
63
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 61
❄ Winter: 2
Religious Demographics
Religious Distribution
Religious Composition by Country
North Korea
Russia
Age Demographics
Median Age
Russia
39.2
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
Russia is 4.6 years older (median) than North Korea
Youth Population
North Korea has the highest youth population at 41.9% (under 30)
Elderly Population
Russia has the highest elderly population at 22% (60+)
Global Statistics
| Metric |
North Korea
|
Russia
|
|---|---|---|
| Travel & Mobility | ||
| Passport Power visa-free destinations | — |
119
|
| Tourist Arrivals per year | — |
24.4M
|
| Culture & Prestige | ||
| Nobel Laureates all-time |
0
|
32
|
| UNESCO Heritage Sites inscribed sites |
3
|
32
|
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.
|
North Korea
|
Russia
|
|---|---|---|
| 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) | N/A | $8 |
| Three-Course Meal for 2 (USD) | N/A | $35 |
| Monthly Rent - City Center (USD) | N/A | $600 |
| Monthly Rent - Outside Center (USD) | N/A | $400 |
| Monthly Utilities (USD) | N/A | $85 |
| Internet (60 Mbps, USD) | N/A | $12 |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (USD) | N/A | $25 |
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
Russia
North Korea
Physicians per 1,000
Russia
North Korea
Hospital beds per 1,000
North Korea
Russia
Diabetes prevalence
North Korea
Russia
Obesity prevalence
Russia
North Korea
Suicide rate per 100k
Russia
North Korea
Want the long view?
GDP, population, reserves & trade for North Korea vs Russia — charted over the decades.
Basic Information
| Metric | North Korea | Russia |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 26571036 | 143513328 |
| Area (sq km) | 120538 | 17098246 |
| Capital | Pyongyang | Moscow |
| Official Language | Korean | Russian |
| Currency | North Korean Won (KPW) | Russian Ruble (RUB) |
| Government Type | Unitary one-party socialist republic | Federal semi-presidential republic |
Military Strength
| Metric | North Korea | Russia |
|---|---|---|
| Active Personnel | 1,280,000 | 900,000 |
| Reserve Personnel | 600,000 | 2,000,000 |
| Total Military Personnel | 1,880,000 | 3,350,000 |
| Defense Budget (USD) | $3,600,000,000 | $154,000,000,000 |
| Tanks | 5,895 | 12,420 |
| Armored Vehicles | 4,060 | 30,122 |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | 2,250 | 6,574 |
| Towed Artillery | 5,500 | 7,571 |
| Rocket Projectors | 5,000 | 3,391 |
Economy
| Metric | North Korea | Russia |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $44,800,000,000 | $2,561,310,169,359 |
| GDP Per Capita (USD) | $1,686 | $17,847 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 3.5% | 2.1% |
| GINI Index (Income Inequality) | 0.0 | 33.0 |
| Currency | North Korean Won (KPW) | Russian Ruble (RUB) |
| Loading current exchange rates… | ||
Interesting Comparisons & Trivia
Did You Know?
Russia is 141.8 times larger in area than North Korea.
That's a massive difference!
Russia has 5.4 times more people than North Korea.
Russia has the highest GDP per capita at $17,847 among the selected countries.
Russia has the largest economy with a GDP of
$2.56 trillion.
North Korea has the largest active military personnel with 1,280,000 troops.
Russia has the largest air force with 4,173 aircraft.
North Korea has the largest navy with 967 vessels.
Russia Fact: Russia spans 11 time zones, more than any other country in the world.
North Korea vs Russia: Key Comparisons
Economy: Russia's GDP of $2.6T is 57.2x larger than North Korea's $45B — both among the world's largest economies.
Population: Russia's population of 144M is 5.4x larger than North Korea's 27M.
Area: Russia covers 17,098,246 km², making it 141.8x larger than North Korea.
Military: North Korea fields 1.3Million active troops vs Russia's 900Thousand.
Trade: North Korea has a trade deficit of $2B while Russia runs a trade surplus of $94B.
Life Expectancy: North Korea leads with a life expectancy of 74 years vs Russia's 73.
Data compiled from World Bank, IMF, Global Firepower, SIPRI, Numbeo, and Pew Research.
Last updated August 2026.
Sources & methodology