Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate) in North Korea
North Korea: Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate) was 79.2% in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
79.2%
Change on year
down 0.0%
World rank
8th
of 187 countries
All-time high
79.6%
in 1997
All-time low
77.7%
in 2020
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in North Korea, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
North Korea recorded 79.2% for employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in 2025.
The figure is up 0.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in North Korea peaked at 79.6% in 1997 and was at its lowest, 77.7%, in 2020.
North Korea ranks 8th of 187 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate) in North Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 79.3% | — |
| 1992 | 79.4% | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 79.4% | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 79.4% | -0.0% |
| 1995 | 79.5% | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 79.5% | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 79.6% | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 79.5% | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 79.2% | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 79.2% | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 79.1% | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 79.2% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 79.1% | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 79.1% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 79.1% | -0.0% |
| 2006 | 79.2% | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 79.2% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 79.2% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 79.2% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 79.3% | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 79.2% | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 79.2% | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 79.1% | -0.0% |
| 2014 | 79.2% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 79.2% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 79.1% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 79.2% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 79.4% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 79.4% | -0.0% |
| 2020 | 77.7% | -2.1% |
| 2021 | 77.7% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 79.3% | +2.0% |
| 2023 | 79.3% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 79.3% | -0.1% |
| 2025 | 79.2% | -0.0% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 79.2% is above the median for low income countries, which is 64.3%, 1.2× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 79.2% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 61.9%, 1.3× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 79.4% | 79.2% | 79.6% | 9 |
| 2000s | 79.2% | 79.1% | 79.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 79.2% | 79.1% | 79.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 78.8% | 77.7% | 79.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
More work & labour data for North Korea
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 3,871 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 17,790 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 82.13 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 3,086 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 0.3313 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 0.555 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 0.2604 % change on previous year (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 931.04 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 3.56 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 79.21 (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in North Korea?
- Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in North Korea was 79.2% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 79.6% in 1997.
- What is the lowest employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 77.7% in 2020.
- How does North Korea rank for employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%)?
- North Korea ranks 8th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this North Korea data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Employment to population ratio is the proportion of a country's population that is employed.