North Korea vs Saudi Arabia: Employment
Employment over time
- North Korea
- Saudi Arabia
How they compare
North Korea currently reports 17,070 against 16,665 in Saudi Arabia, a difference of 405.
Across all 35 years both countries report, North Korea has been ahead every year.
North Korea ranks 38th and Saudi Arabia ranks 39th of 188 countries.
North Korea has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | North Korea | Saudi Arabia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 13,224 | 3,684 | 9,540 | North Korea |
| 2000s | 14,627 | 6,172 | 8,455 | North Korea |
| 2010s | 16,145 | 11,632 | 4,513 | North Korea |
| 2020s | 16,819 | 15,098 | 1,722 | North Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher employment, North Korea or Saudi Arabia?
- North Korea, at 17,070 against 16,665 in Saudi Arabia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in employment between North Korea and Saudi Arabia?
- 405, with North Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for North Korea and Saudi Arabia?
- 35 years are reported by both, from 1991 to 2025.
- How do North Korea and Saudi Arabia rank globally for employment?
- North Korea ranks 38th and Saudi Arabia ranks 39th of 188 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- International Labour Organization, published as Employment (ILO modelled estimates). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. The employed comprise all persons of working age who, during a specified brief period, were in one of the following categories: a) paid employment (whether at work or with a job but not at work); or b) self-employment (whether at work or with an enterprise but not at work). Data disaggregated by economic activity are provided according to the latest version of the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC) available for that year. Data may have been regrouped from national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISIC. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.