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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.

 
 
Source
Central bank

Central Bank of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea

Source
International Reserves

N/A

Source
Gross Domestic Product - GDP

N/A

Source
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

N/A

Source
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

Source
GDP per capita - current prices

N/A

Source
GDP per capita - PPP

N/A

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

 

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

(2016 estimate)

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

N/A

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

*Estimate

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

*Estimate

Source
Household saving rates

N/A

Source
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

Source
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

Source
Government bond ratings

Standard & Poor's: N/A

Moody's: N/A

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

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

N/A

Source
 
 
Source
Current account balance

N/A

Source
Current account balance by percentage of GDP

N/A

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

N/A

Source
Shares in world total merchandising export

N/A

Source
Shares in world total commercial services export

N/A

Source
Total exports

USD 4.2 billion (2015 estimate)

Source
Export commodities

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

Source
Total imports

USD 4.8 billion (2015 estimate)

Source
 
 
Source
Import commodities

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

Source
Exports - major partners

China 75.8% (2015)

Source
Imports - major partners

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

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

N/A

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

N/A

Source
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

Source
Global competitiveness ranking

N/A

Source
Index of Economic Freedom

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

(100=totally free 0=totally repressed)

Source
 
 
Source
Time zone

UTC+8.5 

Source
Total area

120,538 sq km

Source
Capital

Pyongyang

Source
Currency

North Korean won (KPW)

Source
Government type

Communist state

Source
Languages

Korean

Source
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

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

*Estimate

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

33.8 years (2016 estimate)

Source
Population growth rate

0.53% (2016 estimate)

Source
Life expectancy

70.4 years (2016 estimate)

Source
Literacy

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

(age 15 and over can read and write)

Source
% of population living on less than $3.10 a day

N/A

Source
Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index)

N/A

Source
Freedom House rating

Political Rights: 7
Civil Liberties: 7 (2017)                         

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

Source
Total telephone subscribers as % of population

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

Source
Internet users as % of total population

N/A

Source
Mercer Cost of living index

N/A

Source
CO2 emissions

2.0 (2013)

Source
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