Skip to content
WorldPop

Pyongyang

#103 largest metro areaAsia

In North Korea

Metro population
3,144,000
0.038% of world population
Archive estimate
Annual growth
+0.35%
About 30 people a day
Archive estimate
Density
984/km²
3,194 km² metro area
City proper
3,222,000
Within the administrative boundary
GeoNames

About Pyongyang

With a city-proper population of 3,222,000, Pyongyang ranks among Asia's largest urban centers. The metropolitan area extends to 3,144,000 residents across a relatively compact footprint at 984 people per km², situated at just 43 meters elevation. Annual population growth remains minimal at 0.4%.

Pyongyang Sunan International Airport (FNJ) serves the city's air connections. The urban area's dense concentration reflects a tightly organized settlement pattern characteristic of the region.

This summary is AI-generated from the statistics on this page. The figures themselves come from the sources cited beside each value.

Key Facts

Country
North Korea
Continent
Asia
World rank
#103 of 140
Share of country
11.8%
Elevation
43 m
Coordinates
39.034, 125.754

Airports

Scheduled-service airports within 100 km, nearest first.

  • Pyongyang Sunan International AirportFNJ

    22 km from the city centre

Source: OurAirports, matched by distance.

Compared with the World's Largest Cities

Metropolitan population against the fifteen largest metro areas.

  1. Tokyo37.4M
  2. Delhi32.9M
  3. Shanghai29.2M
  4. São Paulo22.6M
  5. Dhaka22.5M
  6. Mexico City22.3M
  7. Cairo22.2M
  8. Mumbai21.7M
  9. Beijing21.5M
  10. Osaka19M
  11. New York18.9M
  12. Karachi17.1M
  13. Kinshasa17.1M
  14. Chongqing16.9M
  15. Lagos15.9M
  16. Pyongyang3.14M
Metro populations are archive estimates; boundaries differ between national statistical agencies.
Pyongyang compared with the fifteen largest metropolitan areas
NameMetro population
Tokyo37.4M
Delhi32.9M
Shanghai29.2M
São Paulo22.6M
Dhaka22.5M
Mexico City22.3M
Cairo22.2M
Mumbai21.7M
Beijing21.5M
Osaka19M
New York18.9M
Karachi17.1M
Kinshasa17.1M
Chongqing16.9M
Lagos15.9M
Pyongyang3.14M

Population Trend in North Korea

No free source publishes metropolitan population back to 1950, so the parent country's series is shown instead.

05M10M15M20M25M1950197520002025205020752100projected →
This is North Korea's national population, not Pyongyang's. The legacy city series this page previously carried was generated by scaling the current figure, so it has been dropped rather than presented as history. Source: UN World Population Prospects 2024.
North Korea population, 1950 to 2100
YearPopulation
195011,116,736
196011,722,953
197015,172,775
198018,236,786
199021,112,137
200023,665,910
201024,987,258
202026,136,312
203026,784,904
204026,542,432
205025,787,127
206024,682,709
207023,397,808
208022,124,706
209020,821,743
210019,512,149

Nearest Major Cities

Closest cities in our dataset by great-circle distance.

Pyongyang Population FAQ

What is the population of Pyongyang?

Pyongyang's metropolitan area has about 3,144,000 people, making it the 103rd largest metro area in our dataset of 140 major cities.

What is the difference between Pyongyang's city and metro population?

About 3,222,000 people live within the city proper, while the wider metropolitan area holds roughly 3,144,000. Metro figures include surrounding commuter areas that fall outside the city's administrative boundary.

Is Pyongyang growing or shrinking?

Pyongyang is growing at +0.35% a year.

What share of North Korea's population lives in Pyongyang?

Pyongyang's metro area holds about 11.8% of North Korea's total population.

How densely populated is Pyongyang?

Pyongyang has roughly 984 people per km² across a metro area of about 3,194 km².

Which airports serve Pyongyang?

The nearest major airports are Pyongyang Sunan International Airport (FNJ).

Which country is Pyongyang in?

Pyongyang is in North Korea, in Asia.

Explore More Cities

All 140 cities →North Korea country profile →