It is speculated that the population growth
in North Korea will continue to slow down as it faces the same aging society issue as that of its southern counterpart.
According to a report released by the
Population Reference Bureau on August 19th, the North Korean population
currently stands at 25 million with an average life expectancy of 70. The same report
revealed that South Korea’s population is 50,700,000 with an average life
expectancy of 82.
Moreover, Peter Goldstein, a RFA representative
stated, “The North Korean population has increased by 100,000 every year
since 2013; however, the population is expected to increase by 300,000 annually
from 2030 to 2050.”
A society in which 7% or more of its
citizens are 65 years old or above is considered an aging society; senior
citizens above the age of 65 comprise 10% of the North Korean population.
Average life expectancy in North Korea is currently 70 years of age–a drastic
increase from the life expectancy of 63 years of age in 2010.
More specifically, life expectancy is
66 years old for men and 74 for women in North Korea. Both of these numbers are
up one year from 2014.
