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North Korea GDP and Economic Data

Country Report 2017 - Includes North Korea real Gross Domestic Product growth rate, with latest forecasts and historical data, GDP per capita, GDP composition and breakdown by sector.

Browse additional economic indicators and data sets, selected by Global Finance editors, to learn more about North Korea economic outlook, debt to GDP ratio, international trade performance and population trends. Rankings of North Korea best banks and safest banks are also available.

South Korea Engages With North Korea

South Korea’s new overtures to Kim Jong II are part of a broader regional diplomatic initiative. Moon visited China, a North Korean ally and key trading partner, in December 2017, and called for better South Korea-China relations.

 
 
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Central bank

Central Bank of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea

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International Reserves

N/A

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Gross Domestic Product - GDP

N/A

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GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

N/A

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Real GDP growth
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017    
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A    

*Estimate

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GDP per capita - current prices

N/A

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GDP per capita - PPP

N/A

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GDP (PPP) - share of world total
1980 1990 2000 2010 2017
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

 

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GDP - composition by sector
  • agriculture: 25.1% 
  • industry: 40.9% 
  • services: 33.9%

(2016 estimate)

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Gross domestic expenditure on R&D; (% of GDP)

N/A

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Inflation
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

*Estimate

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Unemployment rate
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

*Estimate

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Household saving rates

N/A

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Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP)
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

*Estimate

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Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP)
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

*Estimate

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Government bond ratings

Standard & Poor's: N/A

Moody's: N/A

Standard & Poor's / Moody's (Updated January 2017)

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Market value of publicly traded shares
2013 2014 2015
N/A N/A N/A
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Largest companies

N/A

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Current account balance

N/A

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Current account balance by percentage of GDP

N/A

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Exports as percent of GDP (Exports of goods and services)

N/A

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Shares in world total merchandising export

N/A

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Shares in world total commercial services export

N/A

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Total exports

USD 4.2 billion (2015 estimate)

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Export commodities

Minerals, metallurgical products, manufactures (including armaments), textiles, agricultural and fishery products

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Total imports

USD 4.8 billion (2015 estimate)

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Import commodities

Petroleum, coking coal, machinery and equipment, textiles, grain

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Exports - major partners

China 75.8% (2015)

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Imports - major partners

China 76.4%, Republic of the Congo 5.5% (2015)

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FDI inflows
2013 2014 2015
USD 89 million USD 63 million USD 83 million
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FDI outflows
2013 2014 2015
N/A N/A N/A
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Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser
2012 2013 2014 2015
N/A N/A N/A N/A
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Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2014

N/A

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Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2015

N/A

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Best countries for doing business

Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.

Overall ranking: N/A

Subcategories:

Starting a business: N/A

Enforcing Contracts: N/A

Registering Property: N/A

Getting credit: N/A

Protecting investors: N/A

Trading across border: N/A

Paying Taxes: N/A

Dealing with Construction Permits: N/A

Getting Electricity: N/A

Resolving Insolvency: N/A

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Global competitiveness ranking

N/A

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Index of Economic Freedom

Ranking: 178 / Score: 2.3 (Repressed) (2016)

(100=totally free 0=totally repressed)

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Time zone

UTC+8.5 

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Total area

120,538 sq km

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Capital

Pyongyang

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Currency

North Korean won (KPW)

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Government type

Communist state

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Languages

Korean

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Religions

Traditionally Buddhist and Confucianist, some Christian and syncretic Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way)

Note: autonomous religious activities now almost nonexistent; government-sponsored religious groups exist to provide illusion of religious freedom

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Total population
1980 1990 2000 2016* 2021*
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

*Estimate

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Urban population as % of total population
1960 1980 2000 2015
40% 57% 59% 61%
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Population median age

33.8 years (2016 estimate)

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Population growth rate

0.53% (2016 estimate)

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Life expectancy

70.4 years (2016 estimate)

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Literacy

Total population: 100%
Male: 100%
Female: 100% (2015 est.)

(age 15 and over can read and write)

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% of population living on less than $3.10 a day

N/A

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Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index)

N/A

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Freedom House rating

Political Rights: 7
Civil Liberties: 7 (2017)                         

(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free rating)

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Total telephone subscribers as % of population

Fixed 4.69%   Mobile 12.88% (2015)
(fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers)

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Internet users as % of total population

N/A

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Mercer Cost of living index

N/A

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CO2 emissions

2.0 (2013)

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