Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$) … square in North Korea
North Korea: Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$) … square was 22,004 current US$ per square kilometre in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$), per in North Korea, 1981–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in current US$ per square kilometre.
Analysis
North Korea recorded 22,004 current US$ per square kilometre for merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current us$), per in 2023.
The figure is up 50.2% on the previous year and down 48.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current us$), per in North Korea peaked at 42,425 current US$ per square kilometre in 2013 and was at its lowest, 5,973 current US$ per square kilometre, in 2021.
That places North Korea 167th out of 204 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$) … square in North Korea, year by year
| Year | current US$ per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 8,308 current US$ per square kilometre | — |
| 1982 | 8,317 current US$ per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 1983 | 8,065 current US$ per square kilometre | -3.0% |
| 1984 | 6,708 current US$ per square kilometre | -16.8% |
| 1985 | 6,854 current US$ per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 1986 | 6,838 current US$ per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1987 | 9,480 current US$ per square kilometre | +38.6% |
| 1988 | 11,130 current US$ per square kilometre | +17.4% |
| 1989 | 9,994 current US$ per square kilometre | -10.2% |
| 1990 | 10,690 current US$ per square kilometre | +7.0% |
| 1991 | 11,957 current US$ per square kilometre | +11.9% |
| 1992 | 11,408 current US$ per square kilometre | -4.6% |
| 1993 | 12,613 current US$ per square kilometre | +10.6% |
| 1994 | 10,417 current US$ per square kilometre | -17.4% |
| 1995 | 12,711 current US$ per square kilometre | +22.0% |
| 1996 | 16,362 current US$ per square kilometre | +28.7% |
| 1997 | 12,123 current US$ per square kilometre | -25.9% |
| 1998 | 9,722 current US$ per square kilometre | -19.8% |
| 1999 | 10,164 current US$ per square kilometre | +4.5% |
| 2000 | 16,117 current US$ per square kilometre | +58.6% |
| 2001 | 26,283 current US$ per square kilometre | +63.1% |
| 2002 | 17,757 current US$ per square kilometre | -32.4% |
| 2003 | 16,482 current US$ per square kilometre | -7.2% |
| 2004 | 20,301 current US$ per square kilometre | +23.2% |
| 2005 | 26,634 current US$ per square kilometre | +31.2% |
| 2006 | 30,993 current US$ per square kilometre | +16.4% |
| 2007 | 28,240 current US$ per square kilometre | -8.9% |
| 2008 | 38,135 current US$ per square kilometre | +35.0% |
| 2009 | 26,576 current US$ per square kilometre | -30.3% |
| 2010 | 32,081 current US$ per square kilometre | +20.7% |
| 2011 | 34,249 current US$ per square kilometre | +6.8% |
| 2012 | 37,095 current US$ per square kilometre | +8.3% |
| 2013 | 42,425 current US$ per square kilometre | +14.4% |
| 2014 | 39,255 current US$ per square kilometre | -7.5% |
| 2015 | 35,789 current US$ per square kilometre | -8.8% |
| 2016 | 33,547 current US$ per square kilometre | -6.3% |
| 2017 | 32,023 current US$ per square kilometre | -4.5% |
| 2018 | 24,647 current US$ per square kilometre | -23.0% |
| 2019 | 28,827 current US$ per square kilometre | +17.0% |
| 2020 | 8,482 current US$ per square kilometre | -70.6% |
| 2021 | 5,973 current US$ per square kilometre | -29.6% |
| 2022 | 14,646 current US$ per square kilometre | +145.2% |
| 2023 | 22,004 current US$ per square kilometre | +50.2% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 22,004 current US$ per square kilometre is above the median for low income countries, which is 11,452 current US$ per square kilometre, 1.9× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 22,004 current US$ per square kilometre is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 309,648 current US$ per square kilometre, 7% of the median. (36 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$) … square in North Korea changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +145.2% | 5,973 current US$ per square kilometre | 14,646 current US$ per square kilometre |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 8,410 current US$ per square kilometre | 6,708 current US$ per square kilometre | 11,130 current US$ per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1990s | 11,817 current US$ per square kilometre | 9,722 current US$ per square kilometre | 16,362 current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 24,752 current US$ per square kilometre | 16,117 current US$ per square kilometre | 38,135 current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 33,994 current US$ per square kilometre | 24,647 current US$ per square kilometre | 42,425 current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 12,776 current US$ per square kilometre | 5,973 current US$ per square kilometre | 22,004 current US$ per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
- 164 Kazakhstan 22,654 current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 165 Liberia 22,504 current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 166 Guinea 22,045 current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 168 Burkina Faso 21,491 current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 169 Zimbabwe 18,757 current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 170 Cameroon 18,234 current US$ per square kilometre compare
More private sector data for North Korea
- Merchandise imports 2.87 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports 611.00 million current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 23 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 69.72 % change on previous year (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita 107.97 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$), annual growth rate 22.61 % change on previous year (2025)
- Merchandise imports from economies in the Arab World 0.0% (2023)
- Merchandise imports from high-income economies 0.2% (2023)
- Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside 2.7% (2023)
- Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in East 97.1% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current us$), per in North Korea?
- Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current us$), per in North Korea was 22,004 current US$ per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current us$), per recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 42,425 current US$ per square kilometre in 2013.
- What is the lowest merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current us$), per recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 5,973 current US$ per square kilometre in 2021.
- How does North Korea rank for merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current us$), per?
- North Korea ranks 167th out of 204 countries with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current us$), per rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 48.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this North Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$), per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 43 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$) divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$) ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Merchandise imports by the reporting economy Staff estimates, World Bank (WB)
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$) divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.