STATISTICS: KOREA, NORTH

Korea, North Official name: Choson Minjujuui In'min Konghwaguk (Democratic People's Republic of Korea). Form of government: unitary single-party republic with one legislative house (Supreme People's Assembly ). Chief of state: Head of State{1}. Head of state and government: Premier. Capital: P'yongyang. Official language: Korean. Official religion: none. Monetary unit: 1 won = 100 chon; valuation (Sept. 25, 1998) 1 U.S.$ = 2.20 won{2}; l = 3.75 won. Demography Population (1998): 21,234,000. Density (1998): persons per sq mi 448.0, persons per sq km 173.0. Urban-rural (1995): urban 61.3%; rural 38.7%. Sex distribution (1997): male 48.83%; female 51.17%. Age breakdown (1997): under 15, 26.5%; 15-29, 26.0%; 30-44, 21.9%; 45-59, 15.2%; 60-74, 8.7%; 75 and over, 1.7%. Population projection: (2000) 21,688,000; (2010) 23,505,000. Ethnic composition (1989): Korean 99.8%; Chinese 0.2%. Religious affiliation (1980): atheist or nonreligious 68.3%; traditional beliefs 15.6%; Ch'ondogyo 13.9%; Buddhist 1.7%; Christian 0.5%. Major cities (1987): P'yongyang 2,500,000{3}; Hamhung 701,000; Ch'ongjin 520,000; Namp'o 370,000; Sunch'on 356,000. Vital statistics Birth rate per 1,000 population (1996): 22.5 (world avg. 25.0). Death rate per 1,000 population (1996): 5.3 (world avg. 9.3). Natural increase rate per 1,000 population (1996): 17.2 (world avg. 15.7). Total fertility rate (avg. births per childbearing woman; 1996): 2.3. Marriage rate per 1,000 population (1987): 9.3. Divorce rate per 1,000 population (1987): 0.2. Life expectancy at birth (1997): male 69.0 years; female 75.0 years. Major causes of death per 100,000 population (1986); diseases of the circulatory system 224.9; malignant neoplasms (cancers) 69.0; diseases of the digestive system 51.6; diseases of the respiratory system 46.7; injuries and poisoning 38.2; infectious and parasitic diseases 19.4. National economy Budget (1994). Revenue: 41,525,200,000 won (1984; turnover tax 55.0%, payments by state enterprises 30.0%). Expenditures: 41,525,200,000 won (national economy 67.8%, social and cultural affairs 19.8%, defense 11.6%). Public debt (external, outstanding; 1993): U.S.$10,300,000,000. Population economically active (1994){4}: total 12,486,000; activity rate of total population 53.2% (participation rates : ages 15-64, 49.5%; female 46.0%; unemployed, n.a.). Production (metric tons except as noted). Agriculture, forestry, fishing (1997): rice 2,300,000, potatoes 1,550,000, corn (maize) 1,500,000, cabbages 700,000, apples 650,000, sweet potatoes 455,000, soybeans 420,000, pears 120,000, peaches and nectarines 110,000, watermelons 105,000, wheat 100,000, cucumbers and gherkins 65,000, tomatoes 65,000, tobacco leaves 63,000, barley 55,000, millet 10,000, oats 10,000; livestock (number of live animals) 3,100,000 pigs, 1,150,000 cattle, 355,000 sheep, 265,000 goats, 14,000,000 chickens; roundwood (1995) 4,923,000 cu m; fish catch (1995) 1,850,000. Mining and quarrying (1995): iron ore 11,000,000; magnesite (metal content) 1,600,000; phosphate rock 520,000; sulfur 250,000; zinc 200,000; lead (metal content) 80,000; fluorspar 40,000; graphite 40,000; copper 16,000; silver 50; gold 5,000 kg. Manufacturing (1995): cement 17,000,000; crude steel 8,100,000; pig iron 6,600,000; coke 3,000,000; steel semimanufactures 2,700,000{5}; chemical fertilizers 2,500,000{5}; meat 259,200{3}; gasoline 8,600,000 barrels; textile fabrics 350,000,000 sq m{5}. Construction: n.a. Energy production (consumption): electricity (kW-hr; 1994) 37,000,000 (37,000,000); coal (metric tons; 1994) 71,500,000 (73,425,000); crude petroleum (barrels; 1994) none (16,492,500); petroleum products (metric tons; 1994) 2,835,000 (4,346,000). Household income and expenditure. Average household size (1987) 4.8; average annual income per household (1980) 3,677 won (U.S.$4,275); sources of income: n.a.; expenditure (1984){6}: food 46.5%, clothing 29.9%, furniture 3.8%, energy 3.3%, housing 0.6%. Gross national product (1996): U.S.$20,867,000,000 (U.S.$970 per capita). Land use (1994): forested 61.2%; meadows and pastures 0.4%; agricultural and under permanent cultivation 16.6%; other 21.8%. Foreign trade{7} Imports (1995): U.S.$1,470,000,000 (crude petroleum, coal and coke, industrial machinery and transport equipment [including trucks], industrial chemicals, textile yarn and fabrics, and grain are among the major imports). Major import sources: China 30.0%; Japan 15.8%; Austria 9.3%; Ukraine 5.9%. Exports (1995): U.S.$590,000,000 (minerals [including lead, magnesite, zinc], metallurgical products [iron and steel, nonferrous metals], cement, agricultural products [including fish, grain, fruit and vegetables, tobacco], and manufactured goods [textile fabrics, clothing] are among the major exports). Major export destinations: Japan 31.4%; Austria 17.3%; India 6.9%. Transport Transport. Railroads (1990): length 8,533 km. Roads (1992): total length 18,600 mi, 30,000 km (paved 6.2%). Vehicles (1990): passenger cars 248,000. Merchant marine (1992): vessels (100 gross tons and over) 100; total deadweight tonnage 951,222. Air transport (1994): passenger-mi 52,200,000, passenger-km 84,000,000; short ton-mi cargo 1,370,000, metric ton-km cargo 2,000,000; airports (1997) with scheduled flights 1. Education and health Educational attainment (1987-88). Percentage of population age 16 and over having attended or graduated from postsecondary-level school: 13.7%. Literacy (1992): 95%. Health (1989): physicians 57,690 (1 per 370 persons); hospital beds 290,590 (1 per 74 persons); infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births (1997) 52.0. Food (1995){8}: daily per capita caloric intake 2,360 (vegetable products 91%, animal products 9%); 109% of FAO recommended minimum requirement. Military Total active duty personnel (1997): 1,055,000 (army 87.5%, navy 4.4%, air force 8.1%). Military expenditure as percentage of GNP (1995): 28.6% (world 2.8%); per capita expenditure U.S.$255. {1} Position in effect from Sept. 5, 1998. It is defined as an enhanced military post with revised constitutional powers. {2} Transfer rate; the black market rate (June 1997) was about 200 won to 1 U.S.$. {3} 1996 estimate. {4} The Democratic People's Republic of Korea categorizes economically active as including students in higher education, retirees, and heads of households, as well as those in the civilian labour force. {5} 1994. {6} Workers and clerical workers only. {7} Imports are f.o.b. {8} Owing to famine in 1996 and 1997, daily per capita caloric intake was reduced to less than 1,000 calories.