DPRK population

The last census in the DPRK was conducted from October 1-15, 2008, the previous one was only on December 31, 1993. The population as of October 1, 2008 was 24,052,231 residents, 11,721,838 men, and 12,330,393 women. ^[2] The next census will be in 2018; South Korea will allocate $ 6 million for its census. ^[3]

North Korea is a mono - ethnic state . Koreans make up about 99% of the country's population. The DPRK also has a few Chinese communities (from 50,000 to 175,000) ^[8] . The Mongols also live (more than 7000 people), Russians (up to 5000 people) ^[8] , Japanese .

The main language is Korean . Primary religions: traditionally - Buddhism and Confucianism , Christianity is also less common. Independent religious activity in the country is prohibited, however, the government controls several religious groups.

CIA Fact Book Ratings: ^[9]

Age structure:

• 0-14 years: 22.4% (males 2,766,006; females 2,700,378)
• 15-64 years old: 68.6% (males 8 345 737; females 8 423 482)
• 65 years and older: 9.1% (men 738 693; women 1 483 196) (2011, estimate)

Population growth: 0.535% (2011, estimate)

Fertility: 14.51 newborns / 1000 population (2012, estimate)
Mortality: 9.12 deaths / 1000 population (2012, estimate)
Emigration: −0.04 emigrants / 1000 population (2012, estimate)

Sex ratio:

• at birth: 1.05 men / women
• up to 15 years: 1.03 men / women
• 15-64 years old: 0.99 males / females
• 65 years and over: 0.51 men / women
• total population: 0.94 men / women (2012, estimate)

Mortality of newborns: 54 deaths / 1000 newborns (2009 ^[10] )

Life span:

• total population: 70 years;
• men: 67 years old;
• women: 74 years old (2015 ^[11] )

Birth rate: 2.1 newborns per woman (2006, estimate)

Literacy:
criterion: persons older than 15 years who can read and write in Hangeul

• total population: 99%
• men: 99%
• women: 99% (1990, estimate)

The Korean peninsula was originally inhabited by representatives of the Tungus peoples who came here from the northwestern part of Asia . Some of these tribes settled northern China ( Manchuria ).

Since the 1960s, the DPRK has made significant efforts to attract foreigners to the country, primarily technical specialists from the countries of the socialist camp. In addition, from the 1960s to the end of the 1980s, many students from Eastern Europe , Somalia , Angola and Vietnam studied at North Korean universities (mainly at Kim Il Sung University ). Today in the DPRK (mainly in the Pyongyang region) foreign citizens live mainly from Russia , Eastern Europe and Vietnam .

In accordance with the “ Songbun ” system ( cor. Все ), the entire population of the DPRK is divided into three layers: “main”, “vacillating” and “hostile”. Belonging to a particular layer is determined by social origin and occupation during the period of Japanese domination and the Korean War and is inherited by the male line. Members of the TPK (Labor Party of Korea) automatically belong to the "main" layer, persons excluded from the political party to the "hostile" one. Repatriates from China and Japan belong to the “hostile” layer.

Persons classified as “hostile”, in particular, cannot serve in the army, join the TPK and enter most universities ^[12] . At the same time, until the 1990s, belonging to a particular layer (with the exception of the nomenclature ) did not affect the size of the food ration ^{[13] [14]} .

In accordance with the resolution “On Further Strengthening Work with Various Layers and Populations” adopted by the eighth plenary session of the Central Committee of the TPK of the fourth convocation at the end of February 1964, substantial detailing of population categories was carried out, according to which separate groups were identified in each layer (total 51). This work was carried out in 1964-1969 by the forces of the so-called “620 groups”, specially formed for this purpose. This activity was accompanied by expulsions, arrests and executions of enemies of the regime (both real and potential, or simply invented) ^[14] .

It is almost impossible to evaluate even the approximate number of even layers, not to mention individual groups ^[14] .

• Kototheci