South Korea’s National Statistical Office just published the Key Statistical Indicators of North Korea in 2024. It gives a rare insight to this closed land and let’s take a look at what we learn from the stats.
North Korea’s economy, demography, and resource output in 2024 showcase a nation balancing growth against entrenched systemic challenges and international isolation. The latest statistical indicators from South Korea’s Statistics Korea shed light on the paradoxes shaping its fragile stability.
Agricultural output remains a rare area of resilience for North Korea. The nation produced 4.82 million tons of food crops in 2023, marking a 6.9% year-on-year increase. While rice production remains modest at 2.11 million tons—barely 57% of South Korea’s—it is a critical pillar of subsistence in a country still grappling with chronic food shortages.
Coal production surged by 4.9% to 17.1 million tons, a colossal figure compared to South Korea’s 650,000 tons, underscoring the dominance of resource extraction in North Korea’s industrial profile. Yet, the comparative scale highlights limitations in diversification; crude steel output was a meager 350,000 tons, a paltry 0.5% of South Korea’s production.
Despite its resource-heavy strategy, North Korea’s energy infrastructure reflects the profound gap with its southern neighbor. Power generation capacity, at 8,290 MW, represents just 5.7% of South Korea’s robust 144,000 MW capacity. Declining power output—a 5.3% drop to 25 billion kWh in 2023—reveals systemic inefficiencies, exacerbating domestic energy insecurity.
The demographic structure offers both promise and peril. With 18.9% of its population under 14 years old, North Korea maintains a younger population structure compared to aging South Korea. Yet, a total fertility rate of 1.60, while significantly higher than South Korea’s record-low 0.72, is insufficient to prevent long-term demographic decline.
North Korea’s real GDP grew by 3.1% in 2023, driven by construction and manufacturing gains, yet its nominal GDP of KRW 40.2 trillion remains a mere 1.7% of South Korea’s. The stark disparity in per capita income—KRW 1.589 million versus South Korea’s KRW 47.248 million—reinforces the economic gulf that decades of sanctions and isolation have entrenched.
Foreign trade showed signs of recovery from pandemic-era stagnation, with a 74.6% surge in total trade volume to USD 2.77 billion. However, this figure is dwarfed by South Korea’s USD 1.2748 trillion, with North Korea’s near-complete dependence on China (98.3% of trade) highlighting its precarious economic ties.
Amid these contrasts, education reflects a troubling stagnation. The number of college students per 10,000 people in North Korea is just 40.4% of South Korea’s, reflecting a limited focus on higher education critical for long-term economic modernization.
While North Korea’s incremental gains in agriculture, mining, and trade suggest resilience, its underdeveloped infrastructure, restricted economic model, and demographic vulnerabilities underline the structural challenges that define its economy in 2024.
The above content is just a small part of the stats, here we organize the stats into a table of comparison:
North Korea vs. South Korea: 2023 Statistical Comparison
| Category | North Korea | South Korea | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 25.78 million | 51.71 million | North Korea is half of South Korea’s population; combined total is 77.5 million. |
| Fertility Rate | 1.60 | 0.72 | North Korea’s rate is 0.88 higher, indicating a younger population structure. |
| Age Distribution | 0-14: 18.9%; 15-64: 70.0%; 65+: 11.1% | 0-14: 11.0%; 15-64: 72.9%; 65+: 18.2% | North Korea has a younger population structure. |
| Life Expectancy | Men: 72.1 years; Women: 78.6 years | Men: 80.6 years; Women: 86.4 years | North Korea’s life expectancy is shorter by 8.5 years (men) and 7.8 years (women). |
| Food Crop Production | 4.82 million tons | 4.3 million tons | North Korea exceeds South Korea by 520,000 tons (+6.9% YoY). |
| Log Production | 7.91 million m³ | 4.62 million m³ | North Korea produces 1.7x more logs. |
| Coal Production | 17.1 million tons | 650,000 tons | North Korea produces 26.5x more coal. |
| Iron Ore Production | 2.73 million tons | 500,000 tons | North Korea produces 5.4x more iron ore. |
| Crude Steel Production | 350,000 tons | 66.68 million tons | North Korea produces 0.5% of South Korea’s output. |
| Cement Production | 7.06 million tons | 51.12 million tons | North Korea produces 13.8% of South Korea’s output. |
| Chemical Fertilizer | 680,000 tons | 1.75 million tons | North Korea produces 38.9% of South Korea’s output. |
| Real GDP Growth | +3.1% YoY | N/A | Growth driven by construction, mining, and manufacturing. |
| Nominal GDP | KRW 40.2 trillion | KRW 2,401.2 trillion | North Korea’s GDP is 1.7% of South Korea’s GDP. |
| Per Capita Income | KRW 1.589 million | KRW 47.248 million | North Korea’s per capita income is 3.4% of South Korea’s. |
| Trade Volume | USD 2.77 billion | USD 1.2748 trillion | North Korea’s trade is 0.2% of South Korea’s. |
| Main Trading Partners | China (98.3%), Vietnam (0.6%), India (0.2%) | Global | Heavy dependence on China. |
| Railway Length | 5,325 km | 4,209 km | North Korea’s railway is 1.3x longer. |
| Port Handling Capacity | 44 million tons | 1.418 billion tons | North Korea’s capacity is 3.1% of South Korea’s. |
| Power Generation | 25 billion kWh | 588 billion kWh | North Korea generates 4.3% of South Korea’s electricity. |
| College Students | 212 per 10,000 people | 525.2 per 10,000 people | North Korea has 40.4% of South Korea’s college student ratio. |
| Diplomatic Relations | 159 countries (Nov 2024) | Global | North Korea has limited diplomatic reach. |
| International Organizations | 32 (July 2024) | Global | North Korea participates in fewer international bodies. |
The comparison highlights North Korea’s strengths in resource production and agricultural output but underscores significant gaps in GDP, trade, and technological capacity compared to South Korea.
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