Where North Koreans move
46.4K North Koreans live abroad — #166 largest source of emigrants worldwide
Considering a move from North Korea? — See top destinations, regional flows, and how it's changed since 1990.
Where emigrants go
The top 3 countries receive 84% of all emigrants
↑↓ — change vs 2020
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| Japan | 23696 |
| China | 9636 |
| Argentina | 5447 |
| Mali | 2322 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 1693 |
| Guinea | 1144 |
| Mongolia | 718 |
| Denmark | 328 |
| Russia | 172 |
| Gabon | 171 |
| South Africa | 161 |
| Tajikistan | 154 |
| Namibia | 110 |
| Portugal | 92 |
| Honduras | 63 |
| Belarus | 57 |
| Bulgaria | 51 |
| Costa Rica | 51 |
| Cambodia | 45 |
| Venezuela | 41 |
| Norway | 40 |
| Greece | 35 |
| Cyprus | 33 |
| Hungary | 20 |
| Luxembourg | 17 |
| Slovakia | 15 |
| Colombia | 13 |
| Bolivia | 11 |
| Ecuador | 10 |
| Latvia | 9 |
| Chile | 7 |
| Finland | 6 |
| Lithuania | 6 |
| Estonia | 3 |
| Sierra Leone | 2 |
| Iceland | 0 |
| Slovenia | 0 |
By destination region
Asia is the leading destination region at 77%
35.9K
5.6K
3.9K
851
33
Interesting facts
Notable statistics about emigration from North Korea.
Japan is the primary destination for emigrants
Japan attracts 51% of all emigrants from North Korea, while the second-largest destination receives just 21%.
The share of emigrants going to Asia has grown since 1990
The share of emigrants going to Asia has shifted from 39.4% to 77.5% since 1990.
Top emigration destinations have shifted significantly since 1990
6 new countries have entered the top 20 destinations: Mali, Guinea, Portugal — Mali rose from outside the top 20 to rank #4.
Emigration has become more concentrated over time
The top destination's share rose from 31% to 51%, with Japan increasingly the primary choice.
How emigration changed over time
Total emigrant population by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 31450 |
| 1995 | 33120 |
| 2000 | 34814 |
| 2005 | 39887 |
| 2010 | 49563 |
| 2015 | 56701 |
| 2020 | 50879 |
| 2024 | 46379 |
Top destinations over time
Emigration to the 5 largest destination countries
| Year | Japan | China | Argentina | Mali | Kyrgyzstan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 9095 | 2191 | 4562 | 0 | 800 |
| 1995 | 11649 | 2619 | 4422 | 0 | 1058 |
| 2000 | 14431 | 3116 | 4310 | 0 | 1280 |
| 2005 | 17386 | 3709 | 4570 | 0 | 1654 |
| 2010 | 23177 | 4470 | 4994 | 1434 | 2017 |
| 2015 | 32937 | 6243 | 5163 | 1764 | 1777 |
| 2020 | 27629 | 8353 | 5318 | 2069 | 1729 |
| 2024 | 23696 | 9636 | 5447 | 2322 | 1693 |
Fastest-changing destinations
How emigration to each country has changed since the selected year
North Korea as an emigration source
Share of immigrants in each country who originate from North Korea