North Korea

Economy

• Unemployment

  : 3.5 % (2025)

• Youth unemployment (ages 15-24)

  : 7.9 % (2025)

Demographics

• Population

  : 26.6 M (2025)

• Population growth

  : 0.3 % (2025)

• Net migration

  : -2 787 (2025)

• Population density

  : 219.4 (2023)

• Life expectancy

  : 73.7 yrs (2024)

• Fertility rate

  : 1.78 (2024)

• Birth rate

  : 12.9 (2024)

• Death rate

  : 9.86 (2024)

• Urban population

  : 64.2 % (2025)

• Rural population

  : 35.8 % (2025)

• Labor force

  : 17.7 M (2025)

• Infant mortality (under one year)

  : 1.5 % (2023)

• Age dependency ratio

  : 44.9 % (2023)

• Share of women in the population

  : 50.5 % (2025)

• Refugee population hosted

  : 0.0 (2015)

Social

• Internet users

  : 0.0 % (2004)

• Mobile subscriptions

  : 24.1 (2022)

• Access to electricity

  : 61.4 % (2024)

• Access to basic drinking water

  : 93.9 % (2023)

• Labour force participation (ages 25-64)

  : 88.4 % (2025)

Defense

• Armed forces personnel

  : 1.5 M (2020)

• Death rate from armed conflicts

  : 0.0 (2025)

Environment

• CO₂ per capita

  : 2.50 (2024)

• Renewable energy

  : 14.7 % (2021)

• Renewable electricity production

  : 63.1 % (2021)

• Energy consumption

  : 664.9 (2023)

• Forest area

  : 49.6 % (2023)

• Threatened bird species

  : 30.0 (2022)

• Threatened fish species

  : 51.0 (2022)

• Threatened mammal species

  : 10.0 (2022)

• Electricity from coal

  : 34.1 % (2024)

• Electricity from gas

  : 0.0 % (2024)

• Electricity from hydropower

  : 62.7 % (2024)

• Electricity from nuclear

  : 0.0 % (2024)

• Electricity from solar

  : 0.6 % (2024)

• Electricity from wind

  : 0.0 % (2024)

• Greenhouse gases per capita

  : 2.95 (2024)

• Greenhouse gases (total)

  : 78.3 M (2024)

• Fine particulate exposure (PM2.5)

  : 21.2 (2024)

• Tree cover loss

  : 9 517 (2025)

• Forest area (absolute)

  : 6 030 (2020)

Health

• DTP3 immunization coverage

  : 99.0 % (2024)

• Measles immunization coverage

  : 99.0 % (2024)

• Under-five mortality

  : 16.7 (2024)

• Maternal mortality ratio

  : 67.0 (2023)

• Non-communicable disease mortality (ages 30-70)

  : 23.7 % (2021)

• Hypertension prevalence (ages 30-79)

  : 25.2 % (2019)

• Adult obesity prevalence

  : 13.0 % (2022)

• Diabetes prevalence (ages 20-79)

  : 9.9 % (2024)

• Smoking prevalence, adults (age-standardized)

  : 15.6 % (2024)

• Universal health coverage

  : 77.0 (2023)

• Physicians

  : 3.63 (2017)

• Hospital beds

  : 12.8 (2018)

• Adolescent fertility (ages 15-19)

  : 0.51 (2024)

Governance

• Control of corruption

  : -1.56 (2024)

• Government effectiveness

  : -1.27 (2024)

• Political stability

  : 0.32 (2024)

• Rule of law

  : -1.53 (2024)

• Regulatory quality

  : -1.87 (2024)

• Voice and accountability

  : -1.99 (2024)

• Political regime

  : 0.0 (2025)

• Free and fair elections

  : 0.0 (2025)

Business

• Inward foreign direct investment (amount)

  : 203000 $ (1989)