Female labor force participation rates in North Korea
North Korea: Female labor force participation rates was 77.71 in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
77.71
Change on year
down 0.0%
World rank
6th
of 186 countries
All-time high
78.11
in 1998
All-time low
76.31
in 2020
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Female labor force participation rates in North Korea, 1990–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for female labor force participation rates in North Korea is 77.71, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female labor force participation rates in North Korea peaked at 78.11 in 1998 and was at its lowest, 76.31, in 2020.
North Korea ranks 6th of 186 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Female labor force participation rates in North Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 76.64 | — |
| 1991 | 76.82 | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 77.1 | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 77.3 | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 77.42 | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 77.61 | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 77.77 | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 78.04 | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 78.11 | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 77.91 | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 77.92 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 77.81 | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 77.78 | -0.0% |
| 2003 | 77.74 | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 77.69 | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 77.57 | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 77.63 | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 77.68 | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 77.59 | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 77.64 | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 77.66 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 77.65 | -0.0% |
| 2012 | 77.61 | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 77.58 | -0.0% |
| 2014 | 77.56 | -0.0% |
| 2015 | 77.61 | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 77.48 | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 77.62 | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 77.79 | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 77.79 | -0.0% |
| 2020 | 76.31 | -1.9% |
| 2021 | 76.48 | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 77.69 | +1.6% |
| 2023 | 77.72 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 77.72 | -0.0% |
| 2025 | 77.71 | -0.0% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 77.71 is above the median for low income countries, which is 60.29, 1.3× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 77.71 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 55.91, 1.4× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 77.47 | 76.64 | 78.11 | 10 |
| 2000s | 77.7 | 77.57 | 77.92 | 10 |
| 2010s | 77.63 | 77.48 | 77.79 | 10 |
| 2020s | 77.27 | 76.31 | 77.72 | 6 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
More work & labour data for North Korea
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 82.13 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 3,871 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 17,790 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 79.21 (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)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 3,086 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 3.56 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 0.3313 % change on previous year (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is female labor force participation rates in North Korea?
- Female labor force participation rates in North Korea was 77.71 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest female labor force participation rates recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 78.11 in 1998.
- What is the lowest female labor force participation rates recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 76.31 in 2020.
- How does North Korea rank for female labor force participation rates?
- North Korea ranks 6th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is female labor force participation rates 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 Female labor force participation rates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).