https://www.humantruth.info/north_korea.html
By Vexen Crabtree 2013
North Korea Democratic People's Republic of Korea | ![]() |
---|---|
Status | Independent State |
Social and Moral Index | 165th best |
Capital | Pyongyang |
Land Area | 120 410km21 |
Location | Asia |
Population | 25.5m2 |
Life Expectancy | 73.28yrs (2017)3 |
GNI | |
ISO3166-1 Codes | KP, PRK, 4084 |
Internet Domain | .kp5 |
Currency | Won (KPW)6 |
Telephone | +8507 |
“An independent kingdom for much of its long history, Korea was occupied by Japan beginning in 1905 following the Russo-Japanese War. Five years later, Japan formally annexed the entire peninsula. Following World War II, Korea was split with the northern half coming under Soviet-sponsored Communist control. After failing in the Korean War (1950-53) to conquer the US-backed Republic of Korea (ROK) in the southern portion by force, North Korea (DPRK), under its founder President KIM Il Sung, adopted a policy of ostensible diplomatic and economic "self-reliance" as a check against outside influence. The DPRK demonized the US as the ultimate threat to its social system through state-funded propaganda, and molded political, economic, and military policies around the core ideological objective of eventual unification of Korea under Pyongyang's control. KIM Il Sung's son, KIM Jong Il, was officially designated as his father's successor in 1980, assuming a growing political and managerial role until the elder KIM's death in 1994. KIM Jong Un was publicly unveiled as his father's successor in September 2010. Following KIM Jong Il's death in December 2011, the regime began to take actions to transfer power to KIM Jong Un and KIM has now assumed many his father's former titles and duties. After decades of economic mismanagement and resource misallocation, the DPRK since the mid-1990s has relied heavily on international aid to feed its population. The DPRK began to ease restrictions to allow semi-private markets, starting in 2002, but then sought to roll back the scale of economic reforms in 2005 and 2009. North Korea's history of regional military provocations; proliferation of military-related items; long-range missile development; WMD programs including tests of nuclear devices in 2006, 2009, and 2013; and massive conventional armed forces are of major concern to the international community.”
CIA's The World Factbook (2013)8
“Most people form their opinions of North Korea from news reports and James Bond movies, but there´s more to the Democratic People´s Republic than military parades and stand-offs with the UN. No country in the world provokes a similar reaction to North Korea. Now on its third hereditary ruler, this nominally communist state and by-product of the Cold War has defied all expectation and survived a quarter of a century since perestroika dismantled the rest of the once-vast Soviet empire.
Most people don´t even know that it´s possible to travel here, and indeed the compromises required to do so are significant. You´ll be accompanied by two government minders at all times and only hear a one-sided account of history. Those who can´t accept this might be better off staying away - but those who can will have a fascinating trip into another, unsettling world.
With your official minders, you can roam mountain resorts and ancient capitals, though the main attractions remain the bombastic iconography of the North Korean regime and the surreal existence of ordinary people in this troubled, autocratic state.”
Social & Moral Development Index10 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank10 | |
1 | Denmark | 27.0 |
2 | Norway | 29.9 |
3 | Sweden | 31.8 |
... | ||
162 | Sierra Leone | 115.9 |
163 | Ivory Coast | 116.2 |
164 | Myanmar (Burma) | 116.3 |
165 | N. Korea | 117.1 |
166 | Djibouti | 117.2 |
167 | Laos | 117.2 |
168 | Nauru | 117.5 |
169 | Swaziland | 117.8 |
Asia Avg | 92.0 | |
World Avg | 88.6 | |
q=199. |
The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.
#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen
Population:
North Korea's population is predicted to rise to 26.18 million by 2030. This rise is despite a low fertility rate, meaning, that this country is helping to alleviate problems with growing population in neighbouring countries by accepting immigrants, very likely as a requirement of maintaining an active workforce. This country has a fertility rate of 1.79. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.11Population2 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2018 Population2 | |
1 | China | 1.4b |
2 | India | 1.4b |
3 | USA | 327.1m |
... | ||
49 | Yemen | 28.5m |
50 | Nepal | 28.1m |
51 | Madagascar | 26.3m |
52 | N. Korea | 25.5m |
53 | Cameroon | 25.2m |
54 | Ivory Coast | 25.1m |
55 | Australia | 24.9m |
56 | Niger | 22.4m |
World Avg | 39.0m | |
q=195. |
Life Expectancy Higher is better12 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2021 Years12 | |
1 | Monaco | 85.9 |
2 | Hong Kong | 85.5 |
3 | Japan | 84.8 |
... | ||
79 | Latvia | 73.6 |
80 | Mauritius | 73.6 |
81 | Palestine | 73.5 |
82 | N. Korea | 73.3 |
83 | Trinidad & Tobago | 73.0 |
84 | Colombia | 72.8 |
85 | Dominica | 72.8 |
86 | Samoa | 72.8 |
World Avg | 71.28 | |
q=195. |
Fertility Rate 2.0 is best13 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 202213 | |
1 | US Virgin Islands | 2.00 |
2 | Ecuador | 2.00 |
3 | Nepal | 2.01 |
... | ||
28= | Moldova | 1.80 |
29 | Bahrain | 1.80 |
30 | France | 1.79 |
31 | N. Korea | 1.79 |
32 | Malaysia | 1.79 |
33 | El Salvador | 1.79 |
34 | Qatar | 1.78 |
35 | Bulgaria | 1.78 |
World Avg | 2.47 | |
q=208. |
Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better14 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2016 Per 10014 | |
1 | Uganda | 04.3 |
2 | Mali | 04.5 |
3= | Chad | 04.7 |
... | ||
107 | Brunei | 16.2 |
108 | El Salvador | 17.3 |
109 | Panama | 17.7 |
110 | N. Korea | 17.8 |
111 | Turkey | 18.0 |
112 | Vietnam | 18.3 |
113 | Tunisia | 18.6 |
114 | Azerbaijan | 18.7 |
World Avg | 18.3 | |
q=185. |
Migration:
Immigrants15 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2017 %15 | |
1 | UAE | 88.4% |
2 | Kuwait | 75.5% |
3 | Qatar | 65.2% |
... | ||
185 | Colombia | 0.3% |
186 | Morocco | 0.3% |
187 | Philippines | 0.2% |
188 | N. Korea | 0.2% |
189 | Sri Lanka | 0.2% |
190 | Myanmar (Burma) | 0.1% |
191 | Madagascar | 0.1% |
192 | Indonesia | 0.1% |
World Avg | 9.4% | |
q=195. |
Emigrants16 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2010 %16 | |
1 | Dominica | 104.8% |
2 | Palestine | 68.4% |
3 | Samoa | 67.3% |
... | ||
166 | Cameroon | 1.4% |
167 | Malawi | 1.4% |
168 | Congo, DR | 1.3% |
169 | N. Korea | 1.3% |
170 | Thailand | 1.2% |
171 | UAE | 1.2% |
172 | Mongolia | 1.2% |
173 | Kenya | 1.1% |
World Avg | 11.5% | |
q=192. |
#equality #freedom #gender_equality #homosexuality #human_rights #morals #north_korea #north_korea_homosexuality #politics #prejudice #tolerance
Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)17 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank17 | |
1 | Sweden | 6.1 |
2 | Denmark | 8.6 |
3 | Norway | 9.0 |
... | ||
194 | Equatorial Guinea | 146.0 |
195 | Sudan | 150.2 |
196 | Eritrea | 153.3 |
197 | Afghanistan | 155.8 |
198 | N. Korea | 162.3 |
199 | Somalia | 165.8 |
Asia Avg | 103.00 | |
World Avg | 86.55 | |
q=199. |
For tables, charts and commentary, see:
#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #japan #life_expectancy #longevity #north_korea #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #vaccines
Compared to Asia (2025)27 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank27 | |
1= | Japan | 44.1 |
2 | Hong Kong | 48.2 |
3 | Singapore | 49.5 |
4 | N. Korea | 52.9 |
5 | Sri Lanka | 54.3 |
6 | S. Korea | 55.4 |
7 | Malaysia | 58.6 |
8 | Brunei | 61.4 |
9 | Cyprus | 63.1 |
10= | Kuwait | 66.8 |
10= | China | 66.8 |
12 | Bahrain | 69.3 |
13 | Israel | 70.2 |
Asia Avg | 80.90 | |
q=50. |
Health (2025)27 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank27 | |
1 | Monaco | 14.3 |
2 | Liechtenstein | 30.1 |
3 | Isle of Man | 32.1 |
... | ||
21 | Belgium | 50.7 |
22 | New Zealand | 51.2 |
23 | US Virgin Islands | 51.9 |
24 | N. Korea | 52.9 |
25 | Ireland | 53.2 |
26 | UK | 54.0 |
27 | Sri Lanka | 54.3 |
28 | Luxembourg | 54.6 |
World Avg | 96.74 | |
q=212. |
The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and The Isle of Man28. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are S. Sudan, Angola and Nigeria28.
21 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Balkans28, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Melanesia28.
For more, see:
Health:
North Korea does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. N. Korea comes in the best 20 in its adolescent birth rate29 (amongst the lowest in Asia). It does better than average for its fertility rate13, its alcohol consumption rate30 (but bad for Asia), its average life expectancy12 and in its immunizations take-up31 (but low for Asia). N. Korea does not succeed in everything, however. N. Korea does worse than average when it comes to its smoking rate32 (still low for Asia). The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% between 1976 and 2016. Life expectancy in North Korea improved by just +3yrs in the 30 years from 1990, significantly less than almost everywhere else in the world. North Korea's peak fertility rate was 4.05 in 1967.Life Expectancy Higher is better12 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2021 Years12 | |
1 | Monaco | 85.9 |
2 | Hong Kong | 85.5 |
3 | Japan | 84.8 |
... | ||
79 | Latvia | 73.6 |
80 | Mauritius | 73.6 |
81 | Palestine | 73.5 |
82 | N. Korea | 73.3 |
83 | Trinidad & Tobago | 73.0 |
84 | Colombia | 72.8 |
85 | Dominica | 72.8 |
86 | Samoa | 72.8 |
Asia Avg | 73.48 | |
World Avg | 71.28 | |
q=195. |
Alcohol Consumption Lower is better30 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2016 Per Capita30 | |
1 | Bangladesh | 0.0 |
2 | Kuwait | 0.0 |
3 | Libya | 0.0 |
... | ||
65= | Gambia | 3.8 |
65= | Israel | 3.8 |
65= | UAE | 3.8 |
68 | N. Korea | 3.9 |
69 | Honduras | 4.0 |
70 | Jamaica | 4.2 |
71 | Sri Lanka | 4.3 |
72= | Bahamas | 4.4 |
Asia Avg | 3.9 | |
World Avg | 6.2 | |
q=189. |
Fertility Rate 2.0 is best13 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 202213 | |
1 | US Virgin Islands | 2.00 |
2 | Ecuador | 2.00 |
3 | Nepal | 2.01 |
... | ||
28= | Moldova | 1.80 |
29 | Bahrain | 1.80 |
30 | France | 1.79 |
31 | N. Korea | 1.79 |
32 | Malaysia | 1.79 |
33 | El Salvador | 1.79 |
34 | Qatar | 1.78 |
35 | Bulgaria | 1.78 |
Asia Avg | 2.17 | |
World Avg | 2.47 | |
q=208. |
Smoking Rates Lower is better32 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 201432 | |
1 | Guinea | 15 |
2 | Solomon Islands | 26 |
3 | Kiribati | 28 |
... | ||
94 | Malaysia | 584 |
95 | Seychelles | 590 |
96 | Jamaica | 593 |
97 | N. Korea | 610 |
98 | Fiji | 618 |
99 | Cambodia | 645 |
100 | Equatorial Guinea | 649 |
101 | Singapore | 652 |
Asia Avg | 1 035 | |
World Avg | 819 | |
q=182. |
Overweight Adults Lower is better33 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2016 %33 | |
1 | Vietnam | 18.3 |
2 | India | 19.7 |
3 | Bangladesh | 20.0 |
... | ||
52 | Ghana | 32.0 |
53= | China | 32.3 |
53= | Mauritius | 32.3 |
55 | N. Korea | 32.4 |
56 | Thailand | 32.6 |
57 | Cameroon | 33.6 |
58 | Mauritania | 34.4 |
59 | Cape Verde | 34.8 |
Asia Avg | 44.3 | |
World Avg | 49.0 | |
q=191. |
Children's Health:
Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better29 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2022 Per 100029 | |
1 | Hong Kong | 1.6 |
2 | Denmark | 1.8 |
3 | S. Korea | 2.1 |
4 | Norway | 2.2 |
5 | Switzerland | 2.2 |
6 | N. Korea | 2.4 |
7 | Singapore | 2.5 |
8 | Netherlands | 2.7 |
9 | Japan | 2.8 |
10 | UAE | 2.8 |
11 | Liechtenstein | 3.0 |
12 | Sweden | 3.3 |
Asia Avg | 25.9 | |
World Avg | 43.8 | |
q=195. |
Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better31 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2015 Avg %31 | |
1= | Hungary | 99.0 |
1= | China | 99.0 |
3 | Uzbekistan | 98.9 |
... | ||
82= | Germany | 94.0 |
83 | Lithuania | 93.9 |
84 | Estonia | 93.9 |
85 | N. Korea | 93.8 |
86 | Italy | 93.8 |
87 | Austria | 93.8 |
88 | Argentina | 93.7 |
89 | Bulgaria | 93.7 |
Asia Avg | 90.5 | |
World Avg | 88.3 | |
q=194. |
In the 1990s, North Korea had the 3rd-lowest adolescent birth rate in the world (on just after Japan), and in the 2000s and 2010s, it had the lowest rate in the world, giving families a great chance to plan, educate and preserve resources for the future.
#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #environmentalism #food #internationalism #meat #over-exploitation #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism
Compared to Asia (2025)34 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank34 | |
1 | Sri Lanka | 34.9 |
2 | Nepal | 47.9 |
3 | India | 49.5 |
... | ||
43 | Kyrgyzstan | 108.7 |
44 | Kazakhstan | 109.8 |
45 | Bhutan | 115.3 |
46 | Uzbekistan | 116.1 |
47 | Tajikistan | 128.6 |
48 | Brunei | 130.2 |
49 | N. Korea | 132.3 |
50 | Turkmenistan | 134.1 |
51 | Timor-Leste (E. Timor) | 137.5 |
Asia Avg | 86.44 | |
q=51. |
Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)34 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank34 | |
1 | Sri Lanka | 34.9 |
2 | Uruguay | 43.2 |
3 | Switzerland | 45.0 |
... | ||
189 | Niue | 129.5 |
190 | Brunei | 130.2 |
191 | Somalia | 131.0 |
192 | N. Korea | 132.3 |
193 | Turkmenistan | 134.1 |
194 | Nauru | 134.4 |
195 | San Marino | 134.9 |
196 | Andorra | 136.3 |
World Avg | 84.93 | |
q=199. |
All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.
The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.
For more, see:
N. Korea ranks 8th-worst in the world with regard to its responsibility towards the environment (one of the worst in Asia). This rank is calculated from 4 data sets. N. Korea does better than average for reducing annual meat consumption per person35. However N. Korea performs less well in most areas. It does worse than average for its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment and in its forested percent change 2000-202036. And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 when it comes to energy to GDP efficiency37 (amongst the highest in Asia).Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better36 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Total36 | |
1 | Guernsey | 82.6% |
2 | Bahrain | 75.2% |
3 | Iceland | 64.7% |
... | ||
180 | Venezuela | -6.0% |
181 | Honduras | -6.3% |
182 | Equatorial Guinea | -6.5% |
183 | N. Korea | -6.7% |
184 | Mauritius | -7.5% |
185 | Liberia | -7.5% |
186 | Bolivia | -7.9% |
187 | Singapore | -7.9% |
Asia Avg | 3.2% | |
World Avg | -0.1% | |
q=234. |
Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better37 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2022 Avg37 | |
1 | Rwanda | 0.25 |
2 | Chad | 0.26 |
3 | Tanzania | 0.31 |
... | ||
156 | Canada | 2.29 |
157 | Malta | 2.36 |
158 | Mozambique | 2.38 |
159 | N. Korea | 2.46 |
160 | Laos | 2.75 |
161 | Iceland | 4.01 |
162 | Venezuela | 4.18 |
163 | Bahrain | 4.19 |
Asia Avg | 1.50 | |
World Avg | 1.23 | |
q=165. |
International Accords on the Environment Higher is better | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Total Avg Rate | |
1 | Sweden | 83% |
2 | Canada | 82% |
3 | Norway | 81% |
... | ||
167 | Bosnia & Herzegovina | 45% |
168 | Laos | 44% |
169 | Myanmar (Burma) | 44% |
170 | N. Korea | 44% |
171 | Sierra Leone | 43% |
172 | Eritrea | 43% |
173 | Somalia | 43% |
174 | Tonga | 43% |
Asia Avg | 55.4% | |
World Avg | 57.5% | |
q=197. |
Meat Consumption Lower is better35 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2021 kg35 | |
1 | Congo, DR | 03.0 |
2 | Burundi | 03.5 |
3 | Bangladesh | 04.3 |
... | ||
18 | Tanzania | 12.1 |
19 | Ivory Coast | 12.6 |
20 | Cambodia | 12.6 |
21 | N. Korea | 12.8 |
22 | Bhutan | 13.6 |
23 | Cameroon | 14.6 |
24 | Guinea-Bissau | 14.7 |
25 | Djibouti | 14.8 |
Asia Avg | 46.7 | |
World Avg | 52.5 | |
q=185. |
#corruption #education #health #human_development #inequality #life_expectancy #north_korea #peace #politics #somalia
Modernity and Education:
Length of Schooling Higher is better38 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2021 Years38 | |
1 | Australia | 21.1 |
2 | New Zealand | 20.3 |
3 | Greece | 20.0 |
... | ||
149 | Rwanda | 11.2 |
150 | Zambia | 10.9 |
151 | Myanmar (Burma) | 10.9 |
152 | N. Korea | 10.8 |
153 | Benin | 10.8 |
154 | Burundi | 10.7 |
155 | Kenya | 10.7 |
156 | Ivory Coast | 10.7 |
Asia Avg | 13.5 | |
World Avg | 13.5 | |
q=193. |
National Culture:
Corruption Higher is better39 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2022 Points39 | |
1 | Denmark | 90.0 |
2= | Finland | 87.0 |
2= | New Zealand | 87.0 |
... | ||
169 | Turkmenistan | 19.0 |
170= | Chad | 19.0 |
171 | Equatorial Guinea | 17.0 |
172= | N. Korea | 17.0 |
172= | Libya | 17.0 |
172= | Haiti | 17.0 |
172= | Burundi | 17.0 |
176 | Yemen | 16.0 |
Asia Avg | 39.98 | |
World Avg | 42.98 | |
q=180. |
On average through the 2010s, North Korea scored the second-worst on the Corruption Perception Index (after Somalia).
Peace Versus Instability:
Global Peace Index Lower is better40 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2023 Score40 | |
1 | Iceland | 1.12 |
2 | Denmark | 1.31 |
3 | Ireland | 1.31 |
... | ||
146 | Pakistan | 2.75 |
147= | Iran | 2.80 |
147= | Turkey | 2.80 |
149 | N. Korea | 2.85 |
150 | Burkina Faso | 2.87 |
151 | Ethiopia | 2.87 |
152 | Central African Rep. | 2.93 |
153 | Mali | 2.96 |
Asia Avg | 2.17 | |
World Avg | 2.07 | |
q=163. |
Economic Inequality and Poverty:
Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better41 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 201941 | |
1 | Iceland | 2.40 |
2= | Singapore | 2.50 |
2= | Hong Kong | 2.50 |
... | ||
90 | Kyrgyzstan | 11.30 |
91= | St Vincent & Grenadines | 11.30 |
92 | Ecuador | 11.50 |
93= | N. Korea | 11.50 |
94 | Egypt | 11.60 |
95= | Panama | 12.00 |
95= | Palestine | 12.00 |
97 | Solomon Islands | 12.10 |
Asia Avg | 11.80 | |
World Avg | 14.59 | |
q=184. |
#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism
Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below42:
Christian | 2% |
Muslim | 0.1% |
Hindu | 0.1% |
Buddhist | 1.5% |
Folk Religion | 12.3% |
Jewish | 0.1% |
Unaffiliated | 71.3% |
The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: 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 freedom43.
Links: