North Korea: official statistics and sources
Key figures for North Korea from the World Bank and IMF. Official language: Korean. Capital: Pyongyang.
Who holds power in North Korea
- Head of state: Kim Jong Un (General Secretary, Workers' Party of Korea, President of the State Affairs, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Supreme Commander of Armed Forces, Democratic People's Republic of Korea)
- Head of government: Pak Thae Song (Premier of the Cabinet of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea)
- Foreign minister: Choe Son Hui (Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea)
Source: UN Protocol and Liaison Service list, dated 15 October 2026. All world leaders.
Unitary socialist state led by the Workers' Party of Korea. How local power works in North Korea: 4 tiers of government below the nation, who is elected and who they answer to.
Part of level 6 of the 10 levels of power.
Government, regions and cities
- Government and power in North Korea: leaders, governance scores, women in parliament, spending and the bodies that hold power to account
- The 23 largest cities: Pyongyang, Chongjin, Hamhung, Sinuiju, Wonsan
Key figures
What the figures show
World Bank data give a population of 26.6 million for North Korea in 2025, against 25.6 million in 2015. It ranks 11th of 30 in the World Bank's East Asia and Pacific region and 56th of 193 worldwide.
Unemployment stood at 3.5% in 2025 on the ILO's modelled estimate, which can differ from the national survey.
A baby born in 2024 could expect to live 73.7 years.
Figures checked 2026-10-13; how they are compiled.
Official sources in North Korea
Notes
No website of a North Korean state body could be reached on 2026-10-13: the IPU-listed portal naenara.com.kp, and mfa.gov.kp, returned connection errors or HTTP 503.
The Central Bureau of Statistics and the Central Bank of the DPRK have no public websites recorded by the UN Statistics Division or Wikidata.
Freedom of information in North Korea
No general access-to-information law for North Korea was found in the official sources checked on 2026-10-13. No access-to-information law is recorded for the DPRK; no state legislation website could be reached on 2026-10-13.
What North Korea does not have
- No website of any North Korean state register (companies, land, charities, procurement or court judgments) could be reached on 2026-10-13.
- No freedom of information law, information commissioner, lobbying register or published asset declarations.
Also: World Bank country data · IMF country page · UN Sustainable Development Goals country profile · IPU Parline parliament profile.
North Korea by subject
- Economy GDP, growth, trade and investment
- Jobs and pay unemployment, jobs and work
- Cost of living inflation, poverty and inequality
- Public finances debt, deficit, tax and spending
- Health and care life expectancy, doctors and spending
- Housing homes, cities, water and power
- Crime and justice murder rate, courts and crime
- Immigration migrants, refugees and remittances
- Education schools, universities and literacy
- Environment emissions, air, forests and water
Power in North Korea, from local government up to the G20
The global bodies above national governments, and the levels of power inside North Korea. How the ten levels work.
Level 3: Local councils
- Cities of North Korea the largest cities, with their figures
- Local government in North Korea how councils, regions and municipalities work
Level 6: National government
- North Korea: national government this page
- Government and power in North Korea who leads, the parliament and the courts
- World leaders every country's head of state and government
Level 10: G7, G20, Davos and global forums
Common questions
What is the population of North Korea?
26.6 million (2025, World Bank).
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