Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) in North Korea
North Korea: Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) was 17,790 in 2027. ▲ Rising
Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) in North Korea, 1990–2027
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
The most recent figure for labour force (ilo modelled estimates) in North Korea is 17,790, measured in 2027. That is the highest value across all 38 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 4.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labour force (ilo modelled estimates) in North Korea peaked at 17,790 in 2027 and was at its lowest, 12,643, in 1990.
That places North Korea 40th out of 188 countries with data for 2027, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 38 years of available data.
Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) in North Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 12,643 | — |
| 1991 | 12,877 | +1.9% |
| 1992 | 13,100 | +1.7% |
| 1993 | 13,309 | +1.6% |
| 1994 | 13,508 | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 13,693 | +1.4% |
| 1996 | 13,859 | +1.2% |
| 1997 | 14,039 | +1.3% |
| 1998 | 14,197 | +1.1% |
| 1999 | 14,331 | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 14,479 | +1.0% |
| 2001 | 14,614 | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 14,754 | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 14,908 | +1.0% |
| 2004 | 15,076 | +1.1% |
| 2005 | 15,236 | +1.1% |
| 2006 | 15,412 | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 15,586 | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 15,742 | +1.0% |
| 2009 | 15,908 | +1.1% |
| 2010 | 16,073 | +1.0% |
| 2011 | 16,232 | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 16,387 | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 16,538 | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 16,685 | +0.9% |
| 2015 | 16,833 | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 16,952 | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 17,088 | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 17,213 | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 17,307 | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 17,051 | -1.5% |
| 2021 | 17,138 | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 17,514 | +2.2% |
| 2023 | 17,586 | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 17,647 | +0.3% |
| 2025 | 17,697 | +0.3% |
| 2026 | 17,744 | +0.3% |
| 2027 | 17,790 | +0.3% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 17,790 is above the median for low income countries, which is 8,619, 2.1× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 17,790 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3,691, 4.8× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 13,556 | 12,643 | 14,331 | 10 |
| 2000s | 15,171 | 14,479 | 15,908 | 10 |
| 2010s | 16,731 | 16,073 | 17,307 | 10 |
| 2020s | 17,521 | 17,051 | 17,790 | 8 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
- 37 Poland 18,722 compare
- 38 Madagascar 18,089 compare
- 39 Saudi Arabia 17,818 compare
- 41 Angola 17,452 compare
- 42 Mozambique 16,720 compare
- 43 Australia 15,007 compare
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)
- 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)
- Labour dependency ratio 0.555 (2027)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 89.3% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labour force (ilo modelled estimates) in North Korea?
- Labour force (ilo modelled estimates) in North Korea was 17,790 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest labour force (ilo modelled estimates) recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 17,790 in 2027.
- What is the lowest labour force (ilo modelled estimates) recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 12,643 in 1990.
- How does North Korea rank for labour force (ilo modelled estimates)?
- North Korea ranks 40th out of 188 countries with data for 2027.
- Is labour force (ilo modelled estimates) rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this North Korea data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 38 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. The labour force is the sum of all persons of working age who are employed and those who are unemployed. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.