Korea (North)
BASIC FACTS
Pyongyang
Area size
120410 sq. km
Area comparison
Slightly smaller than England
PEOPLE
Language
Korean
Source: New Internationalist World Guide
Population
Future population estimates
28.2 million (2050)
Source: U.N. DESA (2006)
Ethnic groups
Koreans constitute an homogenous ethnic group; there are no significant minorities.
Source: NI World Guide
Religion
Buddhism, Confucianism and Chondokio are the principal religions and belief systems, though the state limits religious activities.
Source: NI World Guide
Percentage urban population
Year women granted right to vote
1946
Source: U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Report
Where two figures are shown, the first refers to a partial recognition of the right to vote and the second to the year women received the right to vote on a universal and equal basis.
Net percentage of girls enrolled in primary education
No data available
Percentage of population under 15
Korean
Source: New Internationalist World Guide
Population
| 2007 | 23.9 million | U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) Population Division (2006) |
| 2006 | 23.7 million | U.N. DESA (2006) |
| 2005 | 23.6 million | U.N. DESA (2006) |
| 2004 | 23.5 million | U.N. DESA (2006) |
| 2003 | 23.4 million | U.N. DESA (2006) |
| 2002 | 23.3 million | U.N. DESA (2006) |
| 2001 | 23.1 million | U.N. DESA (2006) |
| 2000 | 22.9 million | U.N. DESA (2006) |
Future population estimates
28.2 million (2050)
Source: U.N. DESA (2006)
Ethnic groups
Koreans constitute an homogenous ethnic group; there are no significant minorities.
Source: NI World Guide
Religion
Buddhism, Confucianism and Chondokio are the principal religions and belief systems, though the state limits religious activities.
Source: NI World Guide
Percentage urban population
| 2007 | 62.3 percent | U.N. DESA - World Urbanisation Prospects 2005 |
| 2006 | 61.9 percent | U.N. DESA (2005) |
| 2005 | 61.6 percent | U.N. DESA (2005) |
| 2004 | 61.3 percent | U.N. DESA (2005) |
| 2003 | 61.0 percent | U.N. DESA (2005) |
| 2002 | 60.7 percent | U.N. DESA (2005) |
| 2001 | 60.4 percent | U.N. DESA (2005) |
| 2000 | 60.2 percent | U.N. DESA (2005) |
Year women granted right to vote
1946
Source: U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Report
Where two figures are shown, the first refers to a partial recognition of the right to vote and the second to the year women received the right to vote on a universal and equal basis.
Net percentage of girls enrolled in primary education
No data available
Percentage of population under 15
| 2004 | 25.4 percent | UNDP 2006 |
| 2003 | 25.8 percent | UNDP 2005 |
| 2001 | No data available percent | |
| 2000 | No data available percent |
USEFUL INFORMATION
Time zone
GMT +9
Climate description
Generally hot summers, severe winters with frequent snow and frost
Currency
Won
Telephone dialling code
(+) 850
Driving (left/right)
Right
GMT +9
Climate description
Generally hot summers, severe winters with frequent snow and frost
Currency
Won
Telephone dialling code
(+) 850
Driving (left/right)
Right
STANDARD OF LIVING
Average life expectancy
Life expectancy - male
Life expectancy - female
Infant mortality
Child mortality - deaths before the age of five
Births attended by skilled personnel
Maternal mortality
67 per 100,000 live births (2000)
Source: UNDP 2006
Human development index (HDI rank)
No data available (2001)
Percentage of children under weight for age (under age 5)
Percentage of undernourished population
Food intake falls below the minimum requirement.
Population with access to improved water
Population with access to improved sanitation
Literacy - average
Literacy - male
No data available percent
Literacy - female
No data available percent
Landlines telephones
Cellular telephone subscribers
No data available per 1,000 people
Internet users
No data available per 1,000 people
Transparency International corruption ranking (1=least corrupt, 145=most corrupt)
Not ranked (2006)
Signatory of International Convention on the Prevention and Punishment for the crime of Genocide
Yes (1948)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report
Signatory of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
No (1984)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report
Signatory of the Convention on the Rights of the Child
Yes (1989)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report
| 2004 | 63.3 years | UNDP 2006 |
| 2003 | 63.1 years | UNDP 2005 |
| 2001 | No data available years | |
| 2000 | No data available years |
Life expectancy - male
| 2004 | 60.5 years | UNDP 2006 |
| 2003 | No data available years |
Life expectancy - female
| 2004 | 66.4 years | UNDP 2006 |
| 2003 | No data available years | |
| 2000 | No data available years |
Infant mortality
| 2005 | No data available per 1,000 live births | |
| 2004 | 42 per 1,000 live births | UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006 |
| 2003 | No data available per 1,000 live births | |
| 2002 | No data available per 1,000 live births | |
| 2001 | 42 per 1,000 live births | UNDP - Human Development Report 2003 |
| 2000 | No data available per 1,000 live births |
Child mortality - deaths before the age of five
| 2005 | No data available per 1,000 live births | |
| 2004 | 55 per 1,000 live births | UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006 |
| 2003 | 55 per 1,000 live births | UNDP 2005 |
| 2002 | 55 per 1,000 live births | UNDP Human Development Report 2005 |
Births attended by skilled personnel
| 1996-2004 | 97 percent | UNDP 2006 |
| 1995-2003 | 97 percent | UNDP 2005 |
| 1995-2002 | No data available percent | |
| 1995-2001 | No data available percent | |
| 1995-2000 | No data available percent |
Maternal mortality
67 per 100,000 live births (2000)
Source: UNDP 2006
Human development index (HDI rank)
No data available (2001)
Percentage of children under weight for age (under age 5)
| 1996-2005 | No data available percent | |
| 1996-2004 | 23 percent | UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006 |
| 1995-2003 | No data available percent | |
| 1995-2002 | No data available percent | |
| 1995-2000 | No data available percent |
Percentage of undernourished population
| 2002-2004 average | 33 percent | U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) 2006 |
| 2001-2003average | 35 percent | FAO 2006 |
Food intake falls below the minimum requirement.
Population with access to improved water
| 2004 | 100 percent | UNICEF and World Health Organisation (WHO) 2006 |
| 2002 | No data available percent |
Population with access to improved sanitation
| 2004 | 59 percent | UNICEF and WHO 2006 |
| 2002 | No data available percent |
Literacy - average
| 2004 | 98.0 percent | UNDP 2006 |
| 2003 | 98.0 percent | UNDP 2005 |
| 2001 | No data available percent | |
| 2000 | No data available percent |
Literacy - male
No data available percent
Literacy - female
No data available percent
Landlines telephones
| 2005 | 44 per 1,000 people | International Telecommunication Union (ITU) 2006 |
| 2004 | 44 per 1,000 people | ITU 2006 |
| 2003 | 44 per 1,000 people | ITU 2006 |
| 2002 | 41 per 1,000 people | ITU 2006 |
| 2001 | 39 per 1,000 people | ITU 2006 |
| 2000 | 23 per 1,000 people | ITU 2006 |
Cellular telephone subscribers
No data available per 1,000 people
Internet users
No data available per 1,000 people
Transparency International corruption ranking (1=least corrupt, 145=most corrupt)
Not ranked (2006)
Signatory of International Convention on the Prevention and Punishment for the crime of Genocide
Yes (1948)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report
Signatory of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
No (1984)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report
Signatory of the Convention on the Rights of the Child
Yes (1989)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report
ECONOMY & AID
International humanitarian aid flows
Access the Financial Tracking Service, a global real-time database which records all reported humanitarian aid - including that for NGOs, the Red Cross/Crescent Movement, bilateral aid, in-kind aid and private donations - searchable by country.
Source: Financial Tracking Service, ReliefWeb
Percentage of population living on less than US$1 a day
No data available percent
GNI per capita, Atlas method
No data available current US$
GDP
No data available current US$ billions
Annual GDP growth
No data available percent
Annual inflation
No data available percent
Share of income or consumption (poorest 10 percent)
No data available
Share of income or consumption (richest 10 percent)
No data available
No data available percent
GNI per capita, Atlas method
No data available current US$
GDP
No data available current US$ billions
Annual GDP growth
No data available percent
Annual inflation
No data available percent
Share of income or consumption (poorest 10 percent)
No data available
Share of income or consumption (richest 10 percent)
No data available
HEALTH
Physicians
Percentage HIV+ (adults aged 15-49)
No data available percent
Malaria
Limited malaria risk which is exclusively due to P.vivax and exists in some southern areas.
Source: WHO
TB cases
| 1990-2004 | 329 per 100,000 people | UNDP 2006 |
| 1990-2003 | No data available per 100,000 people | |
| 1990-2002 | No data available per 100,000 people |
Percentage HIV+ (adults aged 15-49)
No data available percent
Malaria
Limited malaria risk which is exclusively due to P.vivax and exists in some southern areas.
Source: WHO
TB cases
| 2005 | 178 per 100,000 people | WHO 2007 |
| 2004 | 178 per 100,000 people | 178 |
| 2003 | 178 per 100,000 people | WHO 2006 |
| 2002 | 178 per 100,000 people | WHO 2006 |
| 2000 | 178 per 100,000 people | WHO 2007 |
DISASTERS, CONFLICT & MIGRATION
Chronology of natural disasters
Access EM-DAT, a database of natural disasters from 1900 to the present - death tolls and numbers of affected people - searchable by country.
Source: Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters, Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium
Number of refugees originating here
Number of refugees residing here
No data available
Number of internally displaced people\Estimate
Landmine casualties per year
Casualty figures may include both civilians and military personnel injured or killed by landmines and unexploded ordnance.
Signatory to landmine convention?
No
Source: Landmine Monitor Report
Percentage of GDP spent on military
No data available percent
Percentage of GDP spent on education
No data available percent
Percentage of GDP spent on health
| 2005 | 288 | Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) |
| 2004 | 343 | UNHCR |
| 2002 | No data available | |
| 2001 | No data available | |
| 2000 | No data available |
Number of refugees residing here
No data available
Number of internally displaced people\Estimate
| No data available | |||
Landmine casualties per year
| 2004 | No data available | Landmine Monitor Report 2005 |
| 2003 | No data available | Landmine Monitor Report 2004 |
Casualty figures may include both civilians and military personnel injured or killed by landmines and unexploded ordnance.
Signatory to landmine convention?
No
Source: Landmine Monitor Report
Percentage of GDP spent on military
No data available percent
Percentage of GDP spent on education
No data available percent
Percentage of GDP spent on health
| 2003-2004 | 5.3 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2006 |
| 2002 | 3.5 percent | UNDP 2005 |
| 2001 | No data available percent | |
| 2000 | No data available percent |
AlertNet makes every effort to ensure statistics are updated from the relevant sources as soon as they are available.
