Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) in North Korea

North Korea: Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) was 3,871 in 2027. ▲ Rising

Latest (2027)
3,871
Change on year
up 0.3%
World rank
77th
of 188 countries
All-time high
4,099
in 2020
All-time low
2,872
in 1990
Years of data
38
1990–2027

Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) in North Korea, 1990–2027

01.0k2.0k3.0k4.0k1990200820271990: 2.9k1991: 2.9k1992: 2.9k1993: 2.9k1994: 3.0k1995: 3.0k1996: 3.0k1997: 3.0k1998: 3.1k1999: 3.1k2000: 3.1k2001: 3.2k2002: 3.2k2003: 3.2k2004: 3.3k2005: 3.3k2006: 3.4k2007: 3.4k2008: 3.4k2009: 3.5k2010: 3.5k2011: 3.5k2012: 3.6k2013: 3.6k2014: 3.6k2015: 3.7k2016: 3.7k2017: 3.7k2018: 3.7k2019: 3.8k2020: 4.1k2021: 4.1k2022: 3.8k2023: 3.8k2024: 3.8k2025: 3.8k2026: 3.9k2027: 3.9k

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

North Korea recorded 3,871 for persons outside the labour force (ilo modelled estimates) in 2027.

The figure is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 3.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, persons outside the labour force (ilo modelled estimates) in North Korea peaked at 4,099 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 2,872, in 1990.

North Korea ranks 77th of 188 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 38 years of available data.

Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) in North Korea, year by year

Annual values for Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) in North Korea, 1990 to 2027.
Year Value Change
1990 2,872 —
1991 2,903 +1.1%
1992 2,922 +0.6%
1993 2,946 +0.8%
1994 2,977 +1.0%
1995 2,996 +0.7%
1996 3,016 +0.7%
1997 3,026 +0.3%
1998 3,054 +0.9%
1999 3,102 +1.6%
2000 3,133 +1.0%
2001 3,174 +1.3%
2002 3,207 +1.0%
2003 3,245 +1.2%
2004 3,288 +1.3%
2005 3,335 +1.5%
2006 3,367 +1.0%
2007 3,398 +0.9%
2008 3,443 +1.3%
2009 3,474 +0.9%
2010 3,506 +0.9%
2011 3,542 +1.0%
2012 3,580 +1.1%
2013 3,615 +1.0%
2014 3,650 +1.0%
2015 3,675 +0.7%
2016 3,716 +1.1%
2017 3,727 +0.3%
2018 3,733 +0.2%
2019 3,753 +0.5%
2020 4,099 +9.2%
2021 4,096 -0.1%
2022 3,806 -7.1%
2023 3,818 +0.3%
2024 3,831 +0.3%
2025 3,845 +0.4%
2026 3,858 +0.3%
2027 3,871 +0.3%

North Korea compared with similar countries

  • North Korea's 3,871 is below the median for low income countries, which is 4,549, 85% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
  • North Korea's 3,871 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1,934, 2.0× the median. (29 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 2,981 2,872 3,102 10
2000s 3,307 3,133 3,474 10
2010s 3,650 3,506 3,753 10
2020s 3,903 3,806 4,099 8

Countries ranked near North Korea

  1. 74 Guinea 4,523 compare
  2. 75 Tajikistan 4,491 compare
  3. 76 Greece 4,203 compare
  4. 78 Portugal 3,857 compare
  5. 78 Caribbean 13,808 compare
  6. 79 Czechia 3,602 compare
  7. 80 Papua New Guinea 3,593 compare

See the full ranking of 276 places →

More work & labour data for North Korea

All data for North Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is persons outside the labour force (ilo modelled estimates) in North Korea?
Persons outside the labour force (ilo modelled estimates) in North Korea was 3,871 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest persons outside the labour force (ilo modelled estimates) recorded in North Korea?
The highest recorded value was 4,099 in 2020.
What is the lowest persons outside the labour force (ilo modelled estimates) recorded in North Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 2,872 in 1990.
How does North Korea rank for persons outside the labour force (ilo modelled estimates)?
North Korea ranks 77th out of 188 countries with data for 2027.
Is persons outside the labour force (ilo modelled estimates) rising or falling in North Korea?
Over the last ten years it is up 3.9%. 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 Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) in North Korea. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 10 October 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/persons-outside-the-labour-force-ilo-modelled-estimates-15/korea-dem-people-s-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
276 places, 10,464 data points, 1990–2027
Last refreshed

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. Persons outside the labour force comprise all persons of working age who, during the specified reference period, were not in the labour force (that is, were not employed or unemployed). For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.