Share of female workers by sector in North Korea
North Korea: Share of female workers by sector was 57.79 in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
57.79
Change on year
down 0.3%
World rank
23rd
of 186 countries
All-time high
58.5
in 2021
All-time low
52.08
in 1991
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Share of female workers by sector in North Korea, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of female workers by sector in North Korea is 57.79, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 0.3% on the previous year and up 5.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of female workers by sector in North Korea peaked at 58.5 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 52.08, in 1991.
That places North Korea 23rd out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
Share of female workers by sector in North Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 52.08 | — |
| 1992 | 53.23 | +2.2% |
| 1993 | 54.04 | +1.5% |
| 1994 | 54.56 | +1.0% |
| 1995 | 55.32 | +1.4% |
| 1996 | 55.96 | +1.2% |
| 1997 | 57.01 | +1.9% |
| 1998 | 57.29 | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 56.65 | -1.1% |
| 2000 | 56.7 | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 56.31 | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 56.18 | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 55.96 | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 55.72 | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 55.26 | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 55.38 | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 55.51 | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 55.11 | -0.7% |
| 2009 | 55.29 | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 55.34 | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 55.23 | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 55.06 | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 54.92 | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 54.78 | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 54.94 | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 54.45 | -0.9% |
| 2017 | 54.92 | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 55.48 | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 55.43 | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 57.26 | +3.3% |
| 2021 | 58.5 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | 58.44 | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 58.03 | -0.7% |
| 2024 | 57.95 | -0.1% |
| 2025 | 57.79 | -0.3% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 57.79 is below the median for low income countries, which is 60.94, 95% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 57.79 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 15.42, 3.7× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 55.13 | 52.08 | 57.29 | 9 |
| 2000s | 55.74 | 55.11 | 56.7 | 10 |
| 2010s | 55.06 | 54.45 | 55.48 | 10 |
| 2020s | 57.99 | 57.26 | 58.5 | 6 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
More gender data for North Korea
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 4,948 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -0.7158 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 21,837 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 21,837 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 0.2686 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 162,142 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 171,689 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 163,466 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 172,928 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 164,613 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of female workers by sector in North Korea?
- Share of female workers by sector in North Korea was 57.79 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of female workers by sector recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 58.5 in 2021.
- What is the lowest share of female workers by sector recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 52.08 in 1991.
- How does North Korea rank for share of female workers by sector?
- North Korea ranks 23rd out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of female workers by sector rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this North Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Share of female workers by sector. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).