What is the highest dietary compositions by commodity group recorded in North Korea?

The highest recorded value was 9.38 kilocalories per day per capita in 2018.

What is the lowest dietary compositions by commodity group recorded in North Korea?

The lowest recorded value was 1.89 kilocalories per day per capita in 1967.

How does North Korea rank for dietary compositions by commodity group?

North Korea ranks 186th out of 191 countries with data for 2018.

Is dietary compositions by commodity group rising or falling in North Korea?

Over the last ten years it is up 379.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.

Where does this North Korea data come from?

The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Dietary compositions by commodity group. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Dietary compositions by commodity group in North Korea

Name: Dietary compositions by commodity group in North Korea
Creator: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

North Korea: Dietary compositions by commodity group was 9.38 kilocalories per day per capita in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)

9.38 kilocalories per day per capita

Change on year

up 62.6%

World rank

186th

of 191 countries

All-time high

9.38 kilocalories per day per capita

in 2018

All-time low

1.89 kilocalories per day per capita

in 1967

Years of data

1961–2018

Dietary compositions by commodity group in North Korea, 1961–2018

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in kilocalories per day per capita.

Analysis

In 2018, dietary compositions by commodity group in North Korea stood at 9.38 kilocalories per day per capita. That is the highest value across all 58 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 62.6% on the previous year and up 379.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, dietary compositions by commodity group in North Korea peaked at 9.38 kilocalories per day per capita in 2018 and was at its lowest, 1.89 kilocalories per day per capita, in 1967.

That places North Korea 186th out of 191 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 58 years of available data.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1960s	1.91 kilocalories per day per capita	1.89 kilocalories per day per capita	1.95 kilocalories per day per capita	9
1970s	2.48 kilocalories per day per capita	1.9 kilocalories per day per capita	2.88 kilocalories per day per capita	10
1980s	3.82 kilocalories per day per capita	2.86 kilocalories per day per capita	4.79 kilocalories per day per capita	10
1990s	2.88 kilocalories per day per capita	1.92 kilocalories per day per capita	3.84 kilocalories per day per capita	10
2000s	2.34 kilocalories per day per capita	1.93 kilocalories per day per capita	2.93 kilocalories per day per capita	10
2010s	4.81 kilocalories per day per capita	2.2 kilocalories per day per capita	9.38 kilocalories per day per capita	9

Countries ranked near North Korea

183 Malawi 9.94 kilocalories per day per capita compare
184 Poland 9.65 kilocalories per day per capita compare
185 Democratic Republic of Congo 9.48 kilocalories per day per capita compare
187 Tanzania 7.75 kilocalories per day per capita compare
188 Uganda 7.49 kilocalories per day per capita compare
189 Mozambique 5.22 kilocalories per day per capita compare

See the full ranking of 192 places →

More reference data data for North Korea

Temperature anomalies by month -2.22 °C (2026)
Spring temperature anomalies 2.29 °C (2026)
Summer temperature anomalies 0.3103 °C (2026)
Chief executive of the government is elected 0 (2025)
Winter temperature anomalies 0.9637 °C (2025)
Autumn temperature anomalies 2 °C (2025)
Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
Democracy 1 (2025)
Precipitation anomalies 127.56 millimeters (2025)
Free country 0 (2025)

All data for North Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is dietary compositions by commodity group in North Korea?: Dietary compositions by commodity group in North Korea was 9.38 kilocalories per day per capita in 2018, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest dietary compositions by commodity group recorded in North Korea?: The highest recorded value was 9.38 kilocalories per day per capita in 2018.
What is the lowest dietary compositions by commodity group recorded in North Korea?: The lowest recorded value was 1.89 kilocalories per day per capita in 1967.
How does North Korea rank for dietary compositions by commodity group?: North Korea ranks 186th out of 191 countries with data for 2018.
Is dietary compositions by commodity group rising or falling in North Korea?: Over the last ten years it is up 379.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this North Korea data come from?: The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Dietary compositions by commodity group. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 58 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator: Dietary compositions by commodity group
Unit: kilocalories per day per capita
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 192 places, 10,214 data points, 1961–2023
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

Average per capita dietary energy supply by commodity groups, measured in kilocalories per person per day.