Share of male vs female employment in services in North Korea
North Korea: Share of male vs female employment in services was 25.14 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
25.14
Change on year
up 1.4%
World rank
178th
of 186 countries
All-time high
25.14
in 2025
All-time low
16.48
in 1991
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Share of male vs female employment in services in North Korea, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
North Korea recorded 25.14 for share of male vs female employment in services in 2025. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.4% on the previous year and up 6.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of male vs female employment in services in North Korea peaked at 25.14 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 16.48, in 1991.
North Korea ranks 178th of 186 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Share of male vs female employment in services in North Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 16.48 | — |
| 1992 | 16.68 | +1.2% |
| 1993 | 16.96 | +1.7% |
| 1994 | 17.24 | +1.7% |
| 1995 | 17.48 | +1.4% |
| 1996 | 17.77 | +1.6% |
| 1997 | 18.03 | +1.5% |
| 1998 | 18.33 | +1.7% |
| 1999 | 18.58 | +1.4% |
| 2000 | 18.87 | +1.5% |
| 2001 | 19.19 | +1.7% |
| 2002 | 19.45 | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 19.74 | +1.5% |
| 2004 | 20.01 | +1.4% |
| 2005 | 20.33 | +1.6% |
| 2006 | 20.63 | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 20.93 | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 21.27 | +1.6% |
| 2009 | 21.64 | +1.8% |
| 2010 | 21.94 | +1.4% |
| 2011 | 22.25 | +1.4% |
| 2012 | 22.59 | +1.6% |
| 2013 | 22.96 | +1.6% |
| 2014 | 23.32 | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 23.66 | +1.5% |
| 2016 | 24.07 | +1.7% |
| 2017 | 24.38 | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 24.69 | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 25.09 | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 23.83 | -5.0% |
| 2021 | 23.66 | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 24.01 | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 24.37 | +1.5% |
| 2024 | 24.78 | +1.7% |
| 2025 | 25.14 | +1.4% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 25.14 is below the median for low income countries, which is 31.08, 81% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 25.14 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 48.76, 52% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 17.51 | 16.48 | 18.58 | 9 |
| 2000s | 20.21 | 18.87 | 21.64 | 10 |
| 2010s | 23.5 | 21.94 | 25.09 | 10 |
| 2020s | 24.3 | 23.66 | 25.14 | 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)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 3.56 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 0.555 (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)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 931.04 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 3,086 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 79.21 (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of male vs female employment in services in North Korea?
- Share of male vs female employment in services in North Korea was 25.14 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of male vs female employment in services recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 25.14 in 2025.
- What is the lowest share of male vs female employment in services recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.48 in 1991.
- How does North Korea rank for share of male vs female employment in services?
- North Korea ranks 178th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of male vs female employment in services rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this North Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Share of male vs female employment in services. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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