Employment to population ratio in North Korea
North Korea: Employment to population ratio was 79.24 in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
79.24
Change on year
down 0.0%
World rank
8th
of 186 countries
All-time high
79.59
in 1997
All-time low
77.7
in 2020
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Employment to population ratio in North Korea, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for employment to population ratio in North Korea is 79.24, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 0.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment to population ratio in North Korea peaked at 79.59 in 1997 and was at its lowest, 77.7, in 2020.
North Korea ranks 8th of 186 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Employment to population ratio in North Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 79.28 | — |
| 1992 | 79.42 | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 79.44 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 79.41 | -0.0% |
| 1995 | 79.49 | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 79.54 | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 79.59 | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 79.45 | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 79.19 | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 79.21 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 79.14 | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 79.15 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 79.11 | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 79.12 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 79.11 | -0.0% |
| 2006 | 79.16 | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 79.19 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 79.2 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 79.22 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 79.29 | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 79.2 | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 79.17 | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 79.14 | -0.0% |
| 2014 | 79.17 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 79.19 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 79.09 | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 79.22 | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 79.38 | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 79.35 | -0.0% |
| 2020 | 77.7 | -2.1% |
| 2021 | 77.73 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 79.31 | +2.0% |
| 2023 | 79.32 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 79.25 | -0.1% |
| 2025 | 79.24 | -0.0% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 79.24 is above the median for low income countries, which is 64.33, 1.2× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 79.24 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 61.89, 1.3× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 79.42 | 79.19 | 79.59 | 9 |
| 2000s | 79.16 | 79.11 | 79.22 | 10 |
| 2010s | 79.22 | 79.09 | 79.38 | 10 |
| 2020s | 78.76 | 77.7 | 79.32 | 6 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
More work & labour data for North Korea
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 17,790 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 82.13 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 3,871 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 0.555 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 3.56 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 3,086 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 931.04 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 79.21 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 0.3313 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 0.2604 % change on previous year (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment to population ratio in North Korea?
- Employment to population ratio in North Korea was 79.24 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employment to population ratio recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 79.59 in 1997.
- What is the lowest employment to population ratio recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 77.7 in 2020.
- How does North Korea rank for employment to population ratio?
- North Korea ranks 8th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment to population ratio 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 Our World in Data, published as part of Employment to population ratio. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).