North Korea vs Syria: Share of people who are undernourished
North Korea
47 percent
in 2018
Syria
39 percent
in 2023
North Korea rank
3rd
Syria rank
5th
Share of people who are undernourished over time
- North Korea
- Syria
How they compare
North Korea currently reports 47 percent against 39 percent in Syria, a difference of 8 percent.
That makes North Korea's figure about 1.2 times Syria's.
Across all 18 years both countries report, North Korea has been ahead every year.
North Korea ranks 3rd and Syria ranks 5th of 169 countries.
North Korea has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | North Korea | Syria | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 36.7 percent | 6.33 percent | 30.37 percent | North Korea |
| 2010s | 44.88 percent | 11.63 percent | 33.24 percent | North Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of people who are undernourished, North Korea or Syria?
- North Korea, at 47 percent against 39 percent in Syria as of 2018.
- What is the difference in share of people who are undernourished between North Korea and Syria?
- 8 percent, with North Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for North Korea and Syria?
- 18 years are reported by both, from 2001 to 2018.
- How do North Korea and Syria rank globally for share of people who are undernourished?
- North Korea ranks 3rd and Syria ranks 5th of 169 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) β with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of people who are undernourished. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Share of the population whose daily food intake does not provide enough energy to maintain a normal, active, and healthy life.