Male labor participation rate in North Korea
North Korea: Male labor participation rate was 86.76 in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
86.76
Change on year
down 0.0%
World rank
8th
of 186 countries
All-time high
86.9
in 1993
All-time low
85.13
in 2021
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Male labor participation rate in North Korea, 1990–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, male labor participation rate in North Korea stood at 86.76.
The figure is down 0.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, male labor participation rate in North Korea peaked at 86.9 in 1993 and was at its lowest, 85.13, in 2021.
North Korea ranks 8th of 186 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Male labor participation rate in North Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 86.86 | — |
| 1991 | 86.88 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 86.89 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 86.9 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 86.9 | -0.0% |
| 1995 | 86.89 | -0.0% |
| 1996 | 86.89 | -0.0% |
| 1997 | 86.87 | -0.0% |
| 1998 | 86.86 | -0.0% |
| 1999 | 86.87 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 86.86 | -0.0% |
| 2001 | 86.87 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 86.87 | -0.0% |
| 2003 | 86.86 | -0.0% |
| 2004 | 86.86 | -0.0% |
| 2005 | 86.86 | -0.0% |
| 2006 | 86.86 | -0.0% |
| 2007 | 86.86 | -0.0% |
| 2008 | 86.86 | -0.0% |
| 2009 | 86.85 | -0.0% |
| 2010 | 86.85 | -0.0% |
| 2011 | 86.84 | -0.0% |
| 2012 | 86.83 | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 86.83 | -0.0% |
| 2014 | 86.82 | -0.0% |
| 2015 | 86.81 | -0.0% |
| 2016 | 86.81 | -0.0% |
| 2017 | 86.8 | -0.0% |
| 2018 | 86.79 | -0.0% |
| 2019 | 86.79 | -0.0% |
| 2020 | 85.14 | -1.9% |
| 2021 | 85.13 | -0.0% |
| 2022 | 86.8 | +2.0% |
| 2023 | 86.78 | -0.0% |
| 2024 | 86.78 | -0.0% |
| 2025 | 86.76 | -0.0% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 86.76 is above the median for low income countries, which is 76.14, 1.1× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 86.76 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 72, 1.2× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 86.88 | 86.86 | 86.9 | 10 |
| 2000s | 86.86 | 86.85 | 86.87 | 10 |
| 2010s | 86.82 | 86.79 | 86.85 | 10 |
| 2020s | 86.23 | 85.13 | 86.8 | 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 male labor participation rate in North Korea?
- Male labor participation rate in North Korea was 86.76 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest male labor participation rate recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 86.9 in 1993.
- What is the lowest male labor participation rate recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 85.13 in 2021.
- How does North Korea rank for male labor participation rate?
- North Korea ranks 8th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is male labor participation rate rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 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 Male labor 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).