Labor force participation rate in North Korea
North Korea: Labor force participation rate was 82.15 in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
82.15
Change on year
down 0.0%
World rank
7th
of 186 countries
All-time high
82.3
in 1998
All-time low
80.62
in 2020
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Labor force participation rate in North Korea, 1990–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for labor force participation rate in North Korea is 82.15, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 0.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate in North Korea peaked at 82.3 in 1998 and was at its lowest, 80.62, in 2020.
North Korea ranks 7th of 186 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Labor force participation rate in North Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 81.49 | — |
| 1991 | 81.6 | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 81.77 | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 81.88 | +0.1% |
| 1994 | 81.94 | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 82.05 | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 82.13 | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 82.27 | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 82.3 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 82.21 | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 82.21 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 82.16 | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 82.14 | -0.0% |
| 2003 | 82.12 | -0.0% |
| 2004 | 82.1 | -0.0% |
| 2005 | 82.04 | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 82.07 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 82.1 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 82.05 | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 82.08 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 82.09 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 82.09 | -0.0% |
| 2012 | 82.07 | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 82.06 | -0.0% |
| 2014 | 82.05 | -0.0% |
| 2015 | 82.08 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 82.02 | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 82.09 | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 82.18 | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 82.18 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 80.62 | -1.9% |
| 2021 | 80.71 | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 82.15 | +1.8% |
| 2023 | 82.16 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 82.16 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 82.15 | -0.0% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 82.15 is above the median for low income countries, which is 67.04, 1.2× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 82.15 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 64.35, 1.3× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 81.96 | 81.49 | 82.3 | 10 |
| 2000s | 82.11 | 82.04 | 82.21 | 10 |
| 2010s | 82.09 | 82.02 | 82.18 | 10 |
| 2020s | 81.66 | 80.62 | 82.16 | 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 labor force participation rate in North Korea?
- Labor force participation rate in North Korea was 82.15 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest labor force participation rate recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 82.3 in 1998.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 80.62 in 2020.
- How does North Korea rank for labor force participation rate?
- North Korea ranks 7th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate 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 Labor force participation rate. 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).