Head to head · 24 shared rankings
North Korea vs South Korea
| Ranking | North Korea | South Korea | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Countries with the most hospital beds per 1,000 people2026-11-02 | #2 · 12.8 per 1,000 people | #1 · 12.81 per 1,000 people | South Korea by 1 |
| Countries with the largest military share of population2026-11-02 | #2 · 4.86 % | #9 · 1.07 % | North Korea by 7 |
| Countries with the most military personnel2026-11-02 | #4 · 1,280 thousand people | #9 · 555 thousand people | North Korea by 5 |
| Countries generating the most coal electricity per person2026-11-02 | #41 · 348.32 kWh per person | #5 · 3,765.07 kWh per person | South Korea by 36 |
| Countries producing the most farmed fish2026-10-30 | #17 · 685.7 thousand metric tons | #6 · 2,281.88 thousand metric tons | South Korea by 11 |
| Countries generating the most electricity from coal2026-11-02 | #33 · 9.23 TWh | #8 · 194.53 TWh | South Korea by 25 |
| Countries with the highest CO₂ emissions from coal2026-10-29 | #19 · 57.15 million tonnes | #8 · 247.47 million tonnes | South Korea by 11 |
| Countries with the largest cumulative CO2 emissions from cement2026-11-02 | #42 · 161.35 million tonnes | #8 · 1,026.22 million tonnes | South Korea by 34 |
| Countries with the largest share of global CO2 from coal2026-11-02 | #19 · 0.36 % of global total | #8 · 1.57 % of global total | South Korea by 11 |
| Countries with the highest second-dose measles vaccination coverage2026-11-02 | #8 · 99 % | #37 · 95 % | North Korea by 29 |
| Countries with the highest CO2 emissions from coal per person2026-11-02 | #21 · 2.16 tonnes per person | #9 · 4.78 tonnes per person | South Korea by 12 |
| Countries with the highest hepatitis B vaccine coverage in infants2026-11-02 | #12 · 99 % | #35 · 97 % | North Korea by 23 |
| Countries with the highest rubella vaccination coverage2026-11-02 | #13 · 99 % | #38 · 97 % | North Korea by 25 |
| Countries with the highest measles vaccination coverage in children2026-11-02 | #13 · 99 % | #39 · 97 % | North Korea by 26 |
| Countries with the highest DTP3 vaccination coverage in children2026-11-02 | #14 · 99 % | #38 · 97 % | North Korea by 24 |
| Countries with the highest rice yields2026-11-02 | #42 · 4.64 tonnes per hectare | #15 · 6.86 tonnes per hectare | South Korea by 27 |
| Countries with the largest cumulative CO2 emissions2026-11-02 | #39 · 5,492.66 million tonnes | #16 · 20.7k million tonnes | South Korea by 23 |
| Countries with the largest cumulative CO2 emissions from coal2026-11-02 | #21 · 5,058.3 million tonnes | #16 · 9,141.67 million tonnes | South Korea by 5 |
| Countries producing the most rice2026-11-02 | #28 · 2,250 thousand tonnes | #18 · 4,783.11 thousand tonnes | South Korea by 10 |
| Countries with the largest cumulative CO2 emissions including land use2026-11-02 | #49 · 7.02 billion tonnes | #23 · 20.97 billion tonnes | South Korea by 26 |
| Countries with the most planted forest2026-11-02 | #31 · 1,596.67 thousand hectares | #28 · 2,260 thousand hectares | South Korea by 3 |
| Countries using the most water for agriculture2026-10-29 | #49 · 6.61 billion cubic meters | #32 · 15.96 billion cubic meters | South Korea by 17 |
| Countries producing the most soybeans2026-11-02 | #32 · 180 thousand tonnes | #36 · 154.95 thousand tonnes | North Korea by 4 |
| Countries with the highest millet yields2026-11-02 | #39 · 1.06 tonnes per hectare | #44 · 1 tonnes per hectare | North Korea by 5 |
History
Rank history in Countries with the most hospital beds per 1,000 people
Head to head
North Korea vs South Korea, explained
North Korea vs South Korea, head to head across 24 shared rankings. North Korea ranks higher in 9, South Korea ranks higher in 15. On that count South Korea comes out ahead overall, though each ranking measures something different, so the detail below matters more than the tally.
Ranking by ranking: in Countries with the most hospital beds per 1,000 people, North Korea is #2 with 12.8 per 1,000 people and South Korea is #1 with 12.81 per 1,000 people (South Korea ahead by 1); in Countries with the largest military share of population, North Korea is #2 with 4.86 % and South Korea is #9 with 1.07 % (North Korea ahead by 7); in Countries with the most military personnel, North Korea is #4 with 1,280 thousand people and South Korea is #9 with 555 thousand people (North Korea ahead by 5); in Countries generating the most coal electricity per person, North Korea is #41 with 348.32 kWh per person and South Korea is #5 with 3,765.07 kWh per person (South Korea ahead by 36); in Countries producing the most farmed fish, North Korea is #17 with 685.7 thousand metric tons and South Korea is #6 with 2,281.88 thousand metric tons (South Korea ahead by 11); in Countries generating the most electricity from coal, North Korea is #33 with 9.23 TWh and South Korea is #8 with 194.53 TWh (South Korea ahead by 25).
Within each ranking both entries are measured by the same metric from the same source at the same time, which makes every row a like-for-like comparison. Across rankings the metrics differ, so a lead in one does not cancel out a deficit in another. The rank history chart tracks both entries through every published snapshot of the first shared ranking.
Dates shown next to each ranking are the capture dates of the snapshots used, so you always know how current a comparison is. Each entry also has a profile page listing every ranking it appears in, and each ranking has a quiz if you want to test whether you could have named the top 10.
Top10Earth never estimates or edits a value: each number is fetched from its source, hashed, stored and ranked by software, then checked by a quality gate before it is published. If a refresh fails the gate, the previous snapshot stays live and the problem is reviewed by a person.
Frequently asked questions
- Who ranks higher, North Korea or South Korea?
- South Korea ranks higher in more shared rankings (15 of 24). In Countries with the most hospital beds per 1,000 people, North Korea is #2 and South Korea is #1.
- In how many rankings do North Korea and South Korea both appear?
- 24 current rankings.
- How current is this comparison?
- The newest shared snapshot was captured on 2026-11-02.