Languages spoken in North Korea
Asia · Capital: Pyongyang · Population 26.3 million
The official language of North Korea is Korean. An estimated 88% of the population speaks it as a first or additional language, or roughly 23.1 million people. Korean belongs to the Koreanic language family. Korean is also spoken in two of its three neighbours: China and South Korea.
What languages are spoken in North Korea?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| KoreanKoreanic | 88% | Official | 23.1 million |
Percentages are the share of the population that speaks each language, including as a second language, so they add up to well over 100% in multilingual countries. Speaker counts are estimates derived from the percentage and the country's population, not counted figures.
What is the official language of North Korea?
The official language of North Korea is Korean. Korean is spoken by an estimated 88% of the population, or roughly 23.1 million people, counting both first-language and additional speakers.
Official status comes from Unicode CLDR. It distinguishes languages that are official nationwide, those used as de facto official without being named in law, and those official only in particular regions or territories.
How many people speak Korean in North Korea?
An estimated 88% of North Korea's 26.3 million people speak Korean, which works out at roughly 23.1 million speakers. That figure is derived from the population and the reported share, and it counts second-language speakers, so it is an estimate rather than a census count.
Key facts about North Korea
- Capital
- Pyongyang
- Population
- 26.3 million
- Continent
- Asia
- Area
- 120,538 km²
- Currency
- KPW
- Languages recorded
- 1
- Land borders
- 3
- ISO codes
- KP / PRK / 408
Which countries border North Korea?
North Korea shares a land border with three countries: China, South Korea, and Russia. Korean, the most widely spoken language in North Korea, is also spoken in China and South Korea.
Explore more
Language shares, population, and official status: Unicode CLDR. Capital, area, borders, and currency: mledoze/countries (ODbL 1.0). Flag image: flagcdn.com. Speaker counts are estimates derived from population and reported share.