Labour dependency ratio (ILO modelled estimates) in North Korea
North Korea: Labour dependency ratio (ILO modelled estimates) was 0.555 in 2027. ▼ Falling
Labour dependency ratio in North Korea, 1991–2027
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
North Korea recorded 0.555 for labour dependency ratio in 2027. That is the lowest value across all 37 years on record.
The figure is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 1.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labour dependency ratio in North Korea peaked at 0.713 in 1991 and was at its lowest, 0.555, in 2027.
North Korea ranks 186th of 188 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 37 years of available data.
Labour dependency ratio (ILO modelled estimates) in North Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 0.713 | — |
| 1992 | 0.709 | -0.6% |
| 1993 | 0.71 | +0.1% |
| 1994 | 0.711 | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 0.709 | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 0.706 | -0.4% |
| 1997 | 0.702 | -0.6% |
| 1998 | 0.701 | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 0.702 | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 0.696 | -0.9% |
| 2001 | 0.692 | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 0.684 | -1.2% |
| 2003 | 0.678 | -0.9% |
| 2004 | 0.669 | -1.3% |
| 2005 | 0.661 | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 0.65 | -1.7% |
| 2007 | 0.639 | -1.7% |
| 2008 | 0.63 | -1.4% |
| 2009 | 0.62 | -1.6% |
| 2010 | 0.61 | -1.6% |
| 2011 | 0.603 | -1.1% |
| 2012 | 0.595 | -1.3% |
| 2013 | 0.588 | -1.2% |
| 2014 | 0.581 | -1.2% |
| 2015 | 0.575 | -1.0% |
| 2016 | 0.572 | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 0.566 | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 0.56 | -1.1% |
| 2019 | 0.558 | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 0.591 | +5.9% |
| 2021 | 0.589 | -0.3% |
| 2022 | 0.557 | -5.4% |
| 2023 | 0.556 | -0.2% |
| 2024 | 0.557 | +0.2% |
| 2025 | 0.557 | +0.0% |
| 2026 | 0.556 | -0.2% |
| 2027 | 0.555 | -0.2% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 0.555 is below the median for low income countries, which is 1.78, 31% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 0.555 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.06, 52% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.707 | 0.701 | 0.713 | 9 |
| 2000s | 0.6619 | 0.62 | 0.696 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.5808 | 0.558 | 0.61 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.5648 | 0.555 | 0.591 | 8 |
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)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 3.56 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 0.2604 % change on previous year (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 0.3313 % change on previous year (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 79.21 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 931.04 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 3,086 (2027)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 89.6% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labour dependency ratio in North Korea?
- Labour dependency ratio in North Korea was 0.555 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest labour dependency ratio recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 0.713 in 1991.
- What is the lowest labour dependency ratio recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.555 in 2027.
- How does North Korea rank for labour dependency ratio?
- North Korea ranks 186th out of 188 countries with data for 2027.
- Is labour dependency ratio rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this North Korea data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Labour dependency ratio (ILO modelled estimates). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 37 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
Imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. This indicator provides the ratio of dependents (persons aged 0 to 14 + persons aged 15 and above that are either outside the labour force or unemployed) to total employment. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.