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%.
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
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 82.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 91.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15-6 89.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15 77.7% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 89.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 86.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 78.5% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 81.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 75.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15 87.3% (2025)
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).