North Korea: Self-employment

* indicates monthly or quarterly data series
 North Korea

Self-employment, percent of total employment

 Latest value 87.98
 Year 2023
 Measure percent
 Data availability 1991 - 2023
 Average 88.63
 Min - Max 87.98 - 89.42
 Source The World Bank
The latest value from 2023 is 87.98 percent, a decline from 88.01 percent in 2022. In comparison, the world average is 40.05 percent, based on data from 177 countries. Historically, the average for North Korea from 1991 to 2023 is 88.63 percent. The minimum value, 87.98 percent, was reached in 2023 while the maximum of 89.42 percent was recorded in 1998. See the global rankings or world map for that indicator or use the country comparator to compare trends over time.
Select indicator
* indicates monthly or quarterly data series


Recent data
North Korea - Self-employment - Recent values chart

Historical series
North Korea - Self-employment - historical chart - 1991-2023




Definition: Self-employed workers are those workers who, working on their own account or with one or a few partners or in cooperative, hold the type of jobs defined as a "self-employment jobs." i.e. jobs where the remuneration is directly dependent upon the profits derived from the goods and services produced. Self-employed workers include four sub-categories of employers, own-account workers, members of producers' cooperatives, and contributing family workers.

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 Related indicators Latest Reference Measure
 Labor force 17.70 2025 million people
 Unemployment rate 3.55 2025 percent
 Female unemployment 3.65 2025 percent
 Male unemployment 3.44 2025 percent
 Youth unemployment 7.90 2025 percent
 Labor force participation 82.15 2025 percent
 Labor force: percent female 48.17 2025 percent
 Female labor force participation 77.71 2025 percent
 Male labor force participation 86.76 2025 percent
 Self-employment 87.98 2023 percent
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