Minimum daily requirement of calories in North Korea
North Korea: Minimum daily requirement of calories was 1,858 kilocalories per person per day in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
1,858 kilocalories per person per day
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
88th
of 195 countries
All-time high
1,864 kilocalories per person per day
in 2015
All-time low
1,825 kilocalories per person per day
in 2000
Years of data
25
2000–2024
Minimum daily requirement of calories in North Korea, 2000–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in kilocalories per person per day.
Analysis
In 2024, minimum daily requirement of calories in North Korea stood at 1,858 kilocalories per person per day.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% on the previous year and down 0.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, minimum daily requirement of calories in North Korea peaked at 1,864 kilocalories per person per day in 2015 and was at its lowest, 1,825 kilocalories per person per day, in 2000.
That places North Korea 88th out of 195 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
Minimum daily requirement of calories in North Korea, year by year
| Year | kilocalories per person per day | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 1,825 kilocalories per person per day | — |
| 2001 | 1,827 kilocalories per person per day | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 1,830 kilocalories per person per day | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 1,832 kilocalories per person per day | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 1,835 kilocalories per person per day | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 1,838 kilocalories per person per day | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 1,842 kilocalories per person per day | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 1,845 kilocalories per person per day | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 1,847 kilocalories per person per day | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 1,850 kilocalories per person per day | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 1,853 kilocalories per person per day | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 1,856 kilocalories per person per day | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 1,859 kilocalories per person per day | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 1,861 kilocalories per person per day | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 1,863 kilocalories per person per day | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 1,864 kilocalories per person per day | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 1,864 kilocalories per person per day | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 1,864 kilocalories per person per day | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 1,863 kilocalories per person per day | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 1,862 kilocalories per person per day | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 1,861 kilocalories per person per day | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 1,861 kilocalories per person per day | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 1,860 kilocalories per person per day | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 1,859 kilocalories per person per day | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 1,858 kilocalories per person per day | -0.1% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 1,858 kilocalories per person per day is above the median for low income countries, which is 1,724 kilocalories per person per day, 1.1× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 1,858 kilocalories per person per day is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1,827 kilocalories per person per day, 1.0× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1,837 kilocalories per person per day | 1,825 kilocalories per person per day | 1,850 kilocalories per person per day | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,861 kilocalories per person per day | 1,853 kilocalories per person per day | 1,864 kilocalories per person per day | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,860 kilocalories per person per day | 1,858 kilocalories per person per day | 1,861 kilocalories per person per day | 5 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
- 85 Brunei 1,877 kilocalories per person per day compare
- 86 Japan 1,872 kilocalories per person per day compare
- 87 Malaysia 1,868 kilocalories per person per day compare
- 88 Iran 1,858 kilocalories per person per day compare
- 88 Libya 1,858 kilocalories per person per day compare
- 91 Djibouti 1,856 kilocalories per person per day compare
- 91 Dominican Republic 1,856 kilocalories per person per day compare
- 91 Mexico 1,856 kilocalories per person per day compare
More reference data data for North Korea
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 1.75 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CH4) - Burning - Crop residues 3.54 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) (AR5) - Agricultural Soils 1,939 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Direct emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.838 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Direct emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 5.57 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Direct emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.91 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 (AR5) - Manure Management 325.47 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CH4) - Manure Management 11.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O (AR5) - Agricultural 1,939 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O (AR5) - Burning - Crop 24.3 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is minimum daily requirement of calories in North Korea?
- Minimum daily requirement of calories in North Korea was 1,858 kilocalories per person per day in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest minimum daily requirement of calories recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 1,864 kilocalories per person per day in 2015.
- What is the lowest minimum daily requirement of calories recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,825 kilocalories per person per day in 2000.
- How does North Korea rank for minimum daily requirement of calories?
- North Korea ranks 88th out of 195 countries with data for 2024.
- Is minimum daily requirement of calories rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this North Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Minimum daily requirement of calories. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The minimum amount of daily dietary energy per person that is considered adequate to ensure they maintain a minimum weight for health. Across a population, this takes factors such as the age, sex, height, and activity levels of different individuals into account.