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Korea (North)
Korea (North)
 
Capital: Pyongyang
Area size: 120410 sq. km Slightly smaller than England
Time zone: GMT +9
Currency: Won
Area code: (+) 850
Driving: Right
Climate description: Generally hot summers, severe winters with frequent snow and frost
 

People
Standard of living
Economy & aid
Health
Disasters, conflict & migration
Language
Korean
Source: New Internationalist World Guide

Population
2007 23.9 million U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) Population Division (2006)
2006 23.7 million U.N. DESA (2006)
2005 23.6 million U.N. DESA (2006)
2004 23.5 million U.N. DESA (2006)
2003 23.4 million U.N. DESA (2006)
2002 23.3 million U.N. DESA (2006)
2001 23.1 million U.N. DESA (2006)
2000 22.9 million U.N. DESA (2006)

Future population estimates
28.2 million (2050)
Source: U.N. DESA (2006)

Ethnic groups
Koreans constitute an homogenous ethnic group; there are no significant minorities.
Source: NI World Guide

Religion
Buddhism, Confucianism and Chondokio are the principal religions and belief systems, though the state limits religious activities.
Source: NI World Guide

Percentage urban population
2007 62.3 percent U.N. DESA - World Urbanisation Prospects 2005
2006 61.9 percent U.N. DESA (2005)
2005 61.6 percent U.N. DESA (2005)
2004 61.3 percent U.N. DESA (2005)
2003 61.0 percent U.N. DESA (2005)
2002 60.7 percent U.N. DESA (2005)
2001 60.4 percent U.N. DESA (2005)
2000 60.2 percent U.N. DESA (2005)

Year women granted right to vote
1946
Source: U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Report
Where two figures are shown, the first refers to a partial recognition of the right to vote and the second to the year women received the right to vote on a universal and equal basis.

Net percentage of girls enrolled in primary education
No data available

Percentage of population under 15
2005 24.2 percent U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) 2007
2004 25.4 percent UNDP 2006
2003 25.8 percent UNDP 2005
2001 No data available percent
2000 No data available percent


Average life expectancy
2005 No data available years
2004 63.3 years UNDP 2006
2003 63.1 years UNDP 2005
2001 No data available years
2000 No data available years

Life expectancy - male
2005 64.6 years U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) 2007
2004 60.5 years UNDP 2006
2003 No data available years

Life expectancy - female
2005 68.8 years U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) 2007
2004 66.4 years UNDP 2006
2003 No data available years
2000 No data available years

Infant mortality
2006 42 per 1,000 live births UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2008
2005 42 per 1,000 live births U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) - State of the World's Children 2007
2004 42 per 1,000 live births UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006
2003 No data available per 1,000 live births
2002 No data available per 1,000 live births
2001 42 per 1,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 No data available per 1,000 live births

Child mortality - deaths before the age of five
2006 55 per 1,000 live births UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2008
2005 55 per 1,000 live births UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2007
2004 55 per 1,000 live births UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006
2003 55 per 1,000 live births UNDP 2005
2002 55 per 1,000 live births UNDP Human Development Report 2005

Births attended by skilled personnel
1997-2005 97 percent U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) 2007
1996-2004 97 percent UNDP 2006
1995-2003 97 percent UNDP 2005
1995-2002 No data available percent
1995-2001 No data available percent
1995-2000 No data available percent

Maternal mortality
2005 No data available per 100,000 live births
2000 67 per 100,000 live births UNDP 2006

Human development index (HDI rank)
No data available (2001)

Percentage of children under weight for age (under age 5)
2000-2006 23 percent UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2008
1996-2005 No data available percent
1996-2004 23 percent UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006
1995-2003 No data available percent
1995-2002 No data available percent
1995-2000 No data available percent

Percentage of undernourished population
2002-2004 average 33 percent U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) 2006
2001-2003average 35 percent FAO 2006

Food intake falls below the minimum requirement.

Population with access to improved water
2006 100 percent UNICEF and WHO 2008
2004 100 percent UNICEF and World Health Organisation (WHO) 2006
2002 No data available percent

Population with access to improved sanitation
2006 No data available percent
2004 59 percent UNICEF and WHO 2006
2002 No data available percent

Literacy - average
2004 98.0 percent UNDP 2006
2003 98.0 percent UNDP 2005
2001 No data available percent
2000 No data available percent

Literacy - male
No data available percent

Literacy - female
No data available percent

Landlines telephones
2007 50 per 1,000 people International Telecommunication Union (ITU) 2008
2006 44 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2005 45 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2004 45 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2003 44 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2002 41 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2001 39 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2000 23 per 1,000 people ITU 2008

Cellular telephone subscribers
No data available per 1,000 people

Internet users
No data available per 1,000 people

Transparency International corruption ranking (1=least corrupt, 179=most corrupt)
2008 Not ranked
2007 Not ranked
2006 Not ranked

Signatory of International Convention on the Prevention and Punishment for the crime of Genocide
Yes (1948)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report

Signatory of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
No (1984)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report

Signatory of the Convention on the Rights of the Child
Yes (1989)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report

International humanitarian aid flows
Access the Financial Tracking Service, a global real-time database which records all reported humanitarian aid - including that for NGOs, the Red Cross/Crescent Movement, bilateral aid, in-kind aid and private donations - searchable by country.
Source: Financial Tracking Service, ReliefWeb

Percentage of population living on less than US$1 a day
2.0 percent (1990-2005)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008

GNI per capita, Atlas method
2006 current US$ World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2005 current US$ World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2004 current US$ World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2003 current US$ World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2002 current US$ World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2001 No data available current US$
2000 current US$ World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008

The purpose of the Atlas conversion factor is to reduce the impact of exchange rate fluctuations in a cross-country comparison of national incomes. The Atlas conversion factor for any year is the average of a country’s exchange rate (or alternative conversion factor) for that year and its exchange rates for the two preceding years.

GDP
No data available current US$ billions

Annual GDP growth
No data available percent

Annual inflation
No data available percent

Share of income or consumption (poorest 10 percent)
No data available

Share of income or consumption (richest 10 percent)
No data available

Physicians
2000-2004 329 per 100,000 people U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) 2007
1990-2004 329 per 100,000 people UNDP 2006
1990-2003 No data available per 100,000 people
1990-2002 No data available per 100,000 people

Percentage HIV+ (adults aged 15-49)
No data available percent

Malaria
Limited malaria risk which is exclusively due to P.vivax and exists in some southern areas.
Source: WHO

TB cases
2006 178 per 100,000 people WHO 2008
2005 178 per 100,000 people WHO 2008
2004 178 per 100,000 people WHO 2008
2003 178 per 100,000 people WHO 2008
2002 178 per 100,000 people WHO 2008
2001 178 per 100,000 people WHO 2008
2000 178 per 100,000 people WHO 2008

Chronology of natural disasters
Access EM-DAT, a database of natural disasters from 1900 to the present - death tolls and numbers of affected people - searchable by country.
Source: Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters, Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium

Number of refugees originating here
2007 605 UNHCR
2006 397 Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
2005 288 UNHCR
2004 343 UNHCR
2002 No data available
2001 No data available
2000 No data available

Number of refugees residing here
No data available

Number of internally displaced people\Estimate
No data available

Landmine casualties per year
2004 No data available Landmine Monitor Report 2005
2003 No data available Landmine Monitor Report 2004

Casualty figures may include both civilians and military personnel injured or killed by landmines and unexploded ordnance.
Signatory to landmine convention?
No
Source: Landmine Monitor Report

Percentage of GDP spent on military
No data available percent

Percentage of GDP spent on education
No data available percent

Percentage of GDP spent on health
2004 3 percent U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) 2007
2003-2004 5.3 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2002 3.5 percent UNDP 2005
2001 No data available percent
2000 No data available percent


AlertNet makes every effort to ensure statistics are updated from the relevant sources as soon as they are available.


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