PRK
Data file updated Aug 6, 2026
North Korea
Country profile covering economy, demographics, military, quality-of-life signals, and historical trends.
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Pyongyang
- Currency
- North Korean Won (KPW)
- Language
- Korean
- Government
- Unitary one-party socialist republic
- Internet Users
- 0.0%
- Unemployment
- 3.5%
- Smoking (15+)
- 15.2%
Population
26.57M
GDP
$44.8B
GDP per Capita
$1,686
Area
120,538 km²
Life Expectancy
73.7 years
HDI
0.6
Economy
5 metrics| GDP (USD) | $44.8B |
|---|---|
| GDP Per Capita (USD) | $1,686 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 3.5% |
| GINI Index (Income Inequality) | 0.0 |
| Currency | North Korean Won (KPW) |
Trade (Import/Export)
3 metrics| Exports | $0.4B |
|---|---|
| Imports | $2.4B |
| Trade Balance | $-2.0B |
Society & Demographics
4 metrics| Life Expectancy (years) | 73.7 |
|---|---|
| Literacy Rate (%) | 100.0% |
| Internet Users (%) | 0.0% |
| Human Development Index | 0.6 |
Military Strength
9 metrics| Active Personnel | 1.28M |
|---|---|
| Reserve Personnel | 600,000 |
| Total Military Personnel | 1.88M |
| Defense Budget (USD) | $3.6B |
| Tanks | 5,895 |
| Armored Vehicles | 4,060 |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | 2,250 |
| Towed Artillery | 5,500 |
| Rocket Projectors | 5,000 |
Air Force
7 metrics| Total Aircraft | 946 |
|---|---|
| Fighters | 458 |
| Attack Aircraft | 80 |
| Transport Aircraft | 217 |
| Trainer Aircraft | 170 |
| Helicopters | 21 |
| Attack Helicopters | 20 |
Education
4 metrics| Education Expenditure (% of GDP) | 0.0% |
|---|---|
| Universities | 300 |
| Primary Enrollment (%) | 100.0% |
| Secondary Enrollment (%) | 100.0% |
Healthcare
5 metrics| Healthcare Expenditure (% of GDP) | 0.0% |
|---|---|
| Physicians per 1,000 people | 3.7 |
| Hospital Beds per 1,000 people | 13.2 |
| Life Expectancy (Male) | 68.4 |
| Life Expectancy (Female) | 75.6 |
Historical Data
Olympic Medals
12 Games years
16
Gold
19
Silver
28
Bronze
63
Total Medals (All-Time)
☀ Summer: 61
❄ Winter: 2
Medals by Games Year
Source: Official IOC medal counts via Wikipedia per-Games medal tables (Summer 1896–2024, Winter 1924–2026)
Summer Olympics
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| 2016 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 7 |
| 2012 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 7 |
| 2008 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| 2004 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| 2000 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 1996 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| 1992 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 9 |
| 1980 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| 1976 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 1972 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
Winter Olympics
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1964 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Compare North Korea
Religious Composition
- Atheist/Agnostic 68.0%
- Indigenous Religion 16.0%
- Cheondoism 13.5%
- Buddhist 1.5%
- Christian 1.0%
Beverages per Person
- Alcohol 2.6 L pure/yr
Per-capita — consumption where available, else FAOSTAT supply · alcohol = litres of pure alcohol (WHO)
Age Demographics
34.6
Median Age