International Rankings of Korea North 2023, country comparisons

This table lists the international rankings of Korea, North, in all categories that are published in the CIA World Factbook, and those that we derived from them. Additional international rankings of Korea, North, can be found in the main country ranks menu.
For a definition of each entry, visit the Definitions page.

Ranked Data	Rank	Value	Year
Communications
Broadband - fixed subscriptions - subscriptions per 100 inhabitants	65	N/A	2023
Broadband - fixed subscriptions - total	201	N/A	2023
Internet users - percent of population	113	N/A %	2023
Internet users - total	233	N/A	2023
Telephones - fixed lines - subscriptions per 100 inhabitants	54	5	2021
Telephones - fixed lines - total subscriptions	68	1.200 million	2021
Telephones - mobile cellular - subscriptions per 100 inhabitants	108	23	2021
Telephones - mobile cellular - total subscriptions	118	6.000 million	2021
Economy
Average household expenditures - on alcohol and tobacco	59	N/A % of household expenditures	2023
Average household expenditures - on food	95	N/A % of household expenditures	2023
Budget - expenditures	134	3.300 billion US Dollars	2007
Budget - revenues	132	3.200 billion US Dollars	2007
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)	34	0.4 % of GDP	0
Current account balance	209	N/A US Dollars	2023
Debt - external	133	5.000 billion US Dollars	2013
Exports	200	222.000 million US Dollars	2018
GDP (official exchange rate)	106	28.000 billion US Dollars	2013
GDP - composition by end use - exports of goods and services	183	5.9 % of GDP	2016
GDP - composition by end use - government consumption	135	N/A % of GDP	2014
GDP - composition by end use - household consumption	187	N/A % of GDP	2014
GDP - composition by end use - imports of goods and services	4	11.1 % of GDP	2016
GDP - composition by end use - investment in fixed capital	145	N/A % of GDP	2014
GDP - composition by end use - investment in inventories	75	N/A % of GDP	2014
GDP - composition by sector of origin - agriculture	36	22.5 % of GDP	2017
GDP - composition by sector of origin - industry	14	47.6 % of GDP	2017
GDP - composition by sector of origin - services	185	29.9 % of GDP	2017
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income	129	N/A %	2023
Household income or consumption by percentage share - highest 10%	112	N/A % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population	0
Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10%	46	N/A % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population	0
Imports	168	2.320 billion US Dollars	2018
Industrial production growth rate	142	1 %	2017
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	188	N/A %	0
Labor force	38	17.160 million US Dollars	2021
Labor force - by occupation - agriculture	49	37 %	0
Labor force - by occupation - industry	1	63 %	2008
Labor force - by occupation - services	166	N/A %	2023
Population below poverty line	160	N/A %	0
Public debt	195	N/A % of GDP	2023
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)	122	40.000 billion US Dollars	2015
Real GDP growth rate	180	1.1 %	2015
Real GDP per capita	169	1700 US Dollars	2015
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold	195	N/A US Dollars	2023
Taxes and other revenues	170	11.4 % of GDP	0
Unemployment rate	190	2.59 %	2021
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) - female	137	6.9	2021
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) - male	139	5.4	0
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) - total	138	6.1	0
Energy
Carbon dioxide emissions - from coal and metallurgical coke	40	15.252 million metric tonnes of CO2	2019
Carbon dioxide emissions - from consumed natural gas	124	0 metric tonnes of CO2	2019
Carbon dioxide emissions - from petroleum and other liquids	134	3.213 million metric tonnes of CO2	2019
Coal - consumption	42	6.698 million metric tons	2020
Coal - exports	62	0 metric tons	2020
Coal - imports	102	22000 metric tons	2020
Coal - production	21	16.376 million metric tons	2020
Coal - proven reserves	37	600.000 million metric tons	2019
Electricity - consumption	84	13.930 billion kWh	2019
Electricity - exports	98	0 kWh	2020
Electricity - imports	117	0 kWh	2020
Electricity - installed generating capacity	72	8.413 million kWh	2020
Electricity - transmission/distribution losses	86	2.146 billion kWh	2019
Electricity access	2	N/A %	2023
Electricity generation sources - biomass and waste	57	0 %	2020
Electricity generation sources - fossil fuels	141	15.8 %	2020
Electricity generation sources - geothermal	17	0 %	2020
Electricity generation sources - hydroelectricity	16	84.1 %	2020
Electricity generation sources - nuclear	34	0 %	2020
Electricity generation sources - solar	68	0.1 %	2020
Electricity generation sources - tide and wave	6	0 %	2020
Electricity generation sources - wind	73	0 %	2020
Energy consumption per capita	145	12.610 million Btu/person	2019
Natural gas - consumption	121	0 cubic meters	2021
Natural gas - exports	57	0 cubic meters	2021
Natural gas - imports	88	0 cubic meters	2021
Natural gas - production	97	0 cubic meters	2021
Natural gas - proven reserves	92	0 cubic meters	2021
Petroleum - crude oil and lease condensate exports	73	0 bbl/day	2018
Petroleum - crude oil and lease condensate imports	72	10600 bbl/day	2018
Petroleum - crude oil estimated reserves	89	0 bbl/day	2021
Petroleum - refined petroleum consumption	138	20300 bbl/day	2019
Petroleum - total petroleum production	106	0 bbl/day	2021
Refined petroleum products - exports	128	0 bbl/day	2015
Refined petroleum products - imports	152	8260 bbl/day	2015
Refined petroleum products - production	101	11270 bbl/day	2015
Environment
Air pollutants - carbon dioxide emissions	73	28.28 megatons	2016
Air pollutants - methane emissions	65	18.68 megatons	2020
Air pollutants - particulate matter emissions	56	30.4 micrograms per cubic meter	2016
Land use - agricultural land	141	21.8	2018
Land use - arable land	52	19.5	2018
Land use - forest	53	46	2018
Land use - other	77	32.2	2018
Land use - permanent crops	67	1.9	2018
Land use - permanent pasture	158	0.4	2018
Revenue from coal	34	N/A % of GDP	2023
Revenue from forest resources	99	N/A % of GDP	2023
Total renewable water resources	80	77.150 billion cubic meters	2020
Total water withdrawal - agricultural	48	6.610 billion cubic meters	2020
Total water withdrawal - industrial	45	1.150 billion cubic meters	2020
Total water withdrawal - municipal	52	900.000 million cubic meters	2020
Urbanization - rate of urbanization	121	0.85	2025
Urbanization - urban population	87	63.2	2023
Waste and recycling - municipal solid waste generated annually	125	N/A tons	2023
Waste and recycling - municipal solid waste recycled annually	125	N/A tons	2023
Waste and recycling - percent of municipal solid waste recycled	89	N/A %	2023
Geography
Area - land	99	120408 sq km	0
Area - total	101	120538 sq km	0
Area - water	134	13099 sq km	0
Coastline	49	2495 km	0
Elevation - highest point	215	2744 meters	0
Elevation - lowest point	35	0 meters	0
Elevation - mean elevation	58	600 meters	0
Irrigated land	34	14600 sq km	2012
Land boundaries - total	100	1607 km	0
Land use - agricultural land	141	21.8	2018
Land use - arable land	52	19.5	2018
Land use - forest	53	46	2018
Land use - other	77	32.2	2018
Land use - permanent crops	67	1.9	2018
Land use - permanent pasture	158	0.4	2018
Military
Military expenditures	21	2 % of GDP	010	201	920.253 trillion	0
Population
Alcohol consumption per capita - beer	142	0.12 liters of pure alcohol	2019
Alcohol consumption per capita - other alcohols	63	0 liters of pure alcohol	2019
Alcohol consumption per capita - spirits	21	3.48 liters of pure alcohol	2019
Alcohol consumption per capita - total	93	3.61 liters of pure alcohol	2019
Alcohol consumption per capita - wine	96	0 liters of pure alcohol	2019
Birth rate	119	14.06 births/1,000 population	2023
Children under the age of 5 years underweight	54	9.3 %	2017
Contraceptive prevalence rate	25	70.2 %	2017
Current health expenditure	93	N/A % of GDP	0
Currently married women (ages 15-49)	15	69.7 %	2023
Death rate	37	9.66 deaths/1,000 population	2023
Dependency ratios - elderly dependency ratio	70	16.3 %	0
Dependency ratios - potential support ratio	99	6.1 %	2021
Dependency ratios - total dependency ratio	153	43.5 %	0
Dependency ratios - youth dependency ratio	139	27.2 %	0
Drinking water source - improved	21	97.8 % of population	0
Drinking water source - rural	63	10.9 % of population	0
Drinking water source - total	63	5.5 % of population	2020
Drinking water source - unimproved	44	2.2 % of population	0
Education expenditures	74	N/A % of GDP	0
Gross reproduction rate	77	0.92 %	2023
Hospital bed density	71	N/A beds/1,000 population	2023
Infant mortality rate - female	73	18.99 deaths/1,000 live births	2023
Infant mortality rate - male	72	24.85 deaths/1,000 live births	0
Infant mortality rate - total	74	22 deaths/1,000 live births	0
Life expectancy at birth - female	130	76.02 years	2023
Life expectancy at birth - male	157	67.97 years	0
Life expectancy at birth - total population	146	71.88 years	0
Literacy - female	1	100 %	2015
Literacy - male	1	100 %	0
Literacy - total population	1	100 %	0
Maternal mortality ratio	64	107 deaths/100,000 live births	2020
Median age - female	67	36.2 years	2020
Median age - male	68	33.2 years	0
Median age - total	65	34.6 years	0
Mother's mean age at first birth	86	N/A	2023
Net migration rate	82	0.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population	0
Obesity - adult prevalence rate	124	6.8 %	2016
Physicians density	32	3.68 physicians/1,000 population	2017
Population	55	26.072 million	2023
Population growth rate	119	0.44 %	2023
Sanitation facility access - improved	41	92.7 % of population	0
Sanitation facility access - rural	65	26.9 % of population	0
Sanitation facility access - total	62	14.7 % of population	2020
Sanitation facility access - unimproved	54	7.3 % of population	0
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) - female	12	11 years	2015
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) - male	10	11 years	0
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) - total	11	11 years	0
Sex ratio - 0-14 years	12	1.04 male(s)/female	0
Sex ratio - 15-64 years	24	0.99 male(s)/female	0
Sex ratio - 65 years and over	54	0.56 male(s)/female	0
Sex ratio - at birth	7	1.06 male(s)/female	0
Sex ratio - total population	24	0.95 male(s)/female	0
Tobacco use - female	113	0 %	2020
Tobacco use - male	55	34.8 %	2020
Tobacco use - total	77	17.4 %	2020
Total fertility rate	96	1.89 children born/woman	2023
Urbanization - rate of urbanization	121	0.85	2025
Urbanization - urban population	87	63.2	2023
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) - female	137	6.9	2021
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) - male	139	5.4	0
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) - total	138	6.1	0
Transportation
Airports	61	82	2021
Airports - with paved runways - civil airports	18	N/A	2023
Airports - with paved runways - joint use (civil-military) airports	1	N/A	2023
Airports - with paved runways - military airports	14	N/A	2023
Airports - with paved runways - other airports	22	N/A	2023
Airports - with unpaved runways	57	431000	3280
Heliports	11	23	2021
Merchant marine - total	59	270	0
National air transport system - annual freight traffic on registered air carriers	125	250000	2018
National air transport system - annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers	141	103560	2018
National air transport system - inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers	98	4	0
National air transport system - number of registered air carriers	27	1	2020
Railways	33	N/A km	2023
Roadways - paved	133	724 km	2006
Roadways - total	91	25554 km	2006
Waterways	40	2250 km	2011

*CALCULATED FIGURES are those that we calculated from data presented by the CIA World Factbook. For example, we calculated population density by dividing the total population by the land area, the electricity consumption per capita by dividing electricity consumption by the total population, etc.

NOTE: The information regarding Korea, North on this page is re-published from the 2023 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Korea, North 2023 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Korea, North 2023 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.