Poverty in North Korea

Poverty in North Korea is extensive, though reliable statistics are hard to come by due to lack of reliable research, pervasive censorship and extensive media manipulation in North Korea.[1]

Poverty in North Korea has been widely reported by Western media sources[2][3][4] with the majority referring to the famine that affected the country in the mid-1990s.[5] A 2006 report suggests that North Korea required an estimated 5.3M tonnes of grain per year while harvesting only an estimated 4.5M tonnes, and thus relies on foreign aid to overcome the deficit.[6] Starvation continues to be a systemic problem. In 2021, there were reports of widespread starvation in North Korea.[7]

Poverty in North Korea has also been attributed to poor governance by the government and sanctions.[8] Scholars have also linked poverty in North Korea to structural inequality, weak social protection systems, and the state's limited capacity to implement poverty-related development goals.[9][10]

Marketization has also been identified as an important factor influencing poverty in North Korea. Since the economic crisis of the 1990s, the expansion of informal markets (Jangmadang) has played a growing role in household survival strategies, while also contributing to inequality due to uneven access to market opportunities across different regions and social groups.[11]

Food insecurity has also had important nutritional consequences in North Korea, especially for children and adolescents. Korean research on changes in the country's food distribution system has emphasized that malnutrition among young people is a particularly serious issue because growth and health deficits accumulated during childhood are difficult to reverse later in life.[12]

International humanitarian assistance has remained closely tied to poverty alleviation in North Korea, particularly in areas such as food security, nutrition, health care, water, and sanitation.[13] It is estimated that in 2020, 60% of the North Korean population were living below the poverty line.[14]

As of 2025, the World Bank lists North Korea as a low-income economy, with a GNI per capita of USD $650.00.[15]

See also

References

  1. ^ "There are no reliableyf statistics about the poverty rate in North Korea; however, International relief organizations observed severe economic damage and many Koreans suffering from chronic food shortage". Quote from Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Economic Overview, The Eurasia Center. [1] archive
  2. ^ Hy-Sang Lee (2001). North Korea: A Strange Socialist Fortress. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 11. ISBN 978-0-275-96917-2.
  3. ^ Hugh Dyson Walker (November 2012). East Asia: A New History. AuthorHouse. p. 657. ISBN 978-1-4772-6516-1.
  4. ^ Khan, Mehreen (December 2014). "Six charts that show how North Korea became the most miserable place on earth".
  5. ^ Professor Tae-Hwan Kwak; Professor Seung-Ho Joo (28 March 2014). North Korea and Security Cooperation in Northeast Asia. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. p. 65. ISBN 978-1-4724-1786-2.
  6. ^ "A Matter of Survival - The North Korean Government's Control of Food and the Risk of Hunger" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-12-01.
  7. ^ "As winter looms, reports of starvation in North Korea". BBC News. 2021-11-05. Retrieved 2023-03-03.
  8. ^ "Global Profile of Extreme Poverty". Sustainable Development Solutions Network. 10 October 2012.
  9. ^ Lee, Yang-ho (2015). "북한에서의 불평등" [Inequality in North Korea]. Journal of National Security Studies (in Korean). Institute for National Security Strategy. 북한은 불평등과 빈곤에 시달려 왔다. / North Korea has suffered from inequality and poverty.
  10. ^ Lee, Ji-seon; Kim, Seok-woo; Kim, Ji-young (2023). "북한의 지속가능발전목표 이행에 관한 연구: 빈곤 목표 수용성 평가와 과제" [A Study on North Korea's Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals: Evaluation of the Acceptance of the Poverty Goal and Its Challenges]. Journal of International Development Cooperation (in Korean). 15 (1). Korean Association of International Development and Cooperation: 17–31. SDG의 17개 목표 중 데이터 결측치가 두드러지는 빈곤 목표(SDG 1)을 중심으로 북한 당국의 SDG 수용성을 평가하였다. / This study evaluates North Korean authorities' acceptance of the poverty goal (SDG 1), for which missing data are especially prominent.
  11. ^ Kim, Byung-Yeon (2010). Markets, Bribery, and Regime Stability in North Korea (Report). East Asia Institute. This paper investigates the relationships between markets, bribery, and regime stability in North Korea.
  12. ^ Lee, Ae-ran (2010). "북한의 식량배급정책의 변화에 따른 북한주민의 식생활실태 및 시사점" [A Study on the North Korean People’s Changed Dietary Condition and Suggestions Following Changes in the Government Food Distribution Policy in North Korea]. National Security and Strategy (in Korean). 10 (2). Institute for National Security Strategy: 217–249. 북한의 유아와 청소년들의 영양실조문제는 매우 중요하다. / The problem of malnutrition among infants and adolescents in North Korea is very important.
  13. ^ Lee, Jong-woon (2025). "국제사회의 대북 인도적 원조 30년의 성과와 한계" [Thirty Years of International Humanitarian Aid to North Korea: Achievements and Limitations]. Convergence Humanities Review (in Korean). 13 (3). Korean Society for Humanities and Social Sciences: 7–33. 국제사회는 북한의 빈곤 완화와 취약계층 구호를 위해 지난 30년 동안 인도적 원조를 시행하였다. / The international community has provided humanitarian aid over the past 30 years to alleviate poverty and assist vulnerable groups.
  14. ^ Crespo Cuaresma, Jesús; Danylo, Olha; Fritz, Steffen; Hofer, Martin; Kharas, Homi; Laso Bayas, Juan Carlos (17 March 2020). "What do we know about poverty in North Korea?". Palgrave Communications. 6 (1): 1–8. doi:10.1057/s41599-020-0417-4.
  15. ^ "Understanding country income: World Bank Group income classifications for FY26". World Bank Blogs. Retrieved 2026-01-23.

Further reading


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.