Potato production in North Korea
North Korea: Potato production was 413,319 tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
413,319 tonnes
Change on year
down 11.7%
World rank
73rd
of 160 countries
All-time high
2.27 million tonnes
in 2001
All-time low
390,000 tonnes
in 1961
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Potato production in North Korea, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
North Korea recorded 413,319 tonnes for potato production in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 11.7% on the previous year and down 73.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, potato production in North Korea peaked at 2.27 million tonnes in 2001 and was at its lowest, 390,000 tonnes, in 1961.
That places North Korea 73rd out of 160 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Potato production in North Korea, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 390,000 tonnes | — |
| 1962 | 390,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 390,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 390,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 390,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 390,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 390,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 390,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 390,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 400,000 tonnes | +2.6% |
| 1971 | 400,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 400,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 400,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 400,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 480,000 tonnes | +20.0% |
| 1976 | 520,000 tonnes | +8.3% |
| 1977 | 560,000 tonnes | +7.7% |
| 1978 | 595,000 tonnes | +6.2% |
| 1979 | 600,000 tonnes | +0.8% |
| 1980 | 620,000 tonnes | +3.3% |
| 1981 | 620,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 640,000 tonnes | +3.2% |
| 1983 | 660,000 tonnes | +3.1% |
| 1984 | 680,000 tonnes | +3.0% |
| 1985 | 740,000 tonnes | +8.8% |
| 1986 | 760,000 tonnes | +2.7% |
| 1987 | 780,000 tonnes | +2.6% |
| 1988 | 760,000 tonnes | -2.6% |
| 1989 | 800,000 tonnes | +5.3% |
| 1990 | 810,000 tonnes | +1.2% |
| 1991 | 780,000 tonnes | -3.7% |
| 1992 | 867,000 tonnes | +11.2% |
| 1993 | 402,000 tonnes | -53.6% |
| 1994 | 573,000 tonnes | +42.5% |
| 1995 | 436,000 tonnes | -23.9% |
| 1996 | 510,000 tonnes | +17.0% |
| 1997 | 800,000 tonnes | +56.9% |
| 1998 | 1.27 million tonnes | +58.6% |
| 1999 | 1.47 million tonnes | +16.1% |
| 2000 | 1.87 million tonnes | +27.0% |
| 2001 | 2.27 million tonnes | +21.3% |
| 2002 | 1.88 million tonnes | -16.9% |
| 2003 | 2.02 million tonnes | +7.4% |
| 2004 | 2.05 million tonnes | +1.4% |
| 2005 | 2.07 million tonnes | +0.9% |
| 2006 | 2.00 million tonnes | -3.4% |
| 2007 | 1.90 million tonnes | -5.0% |
| 2008 | 1.52 million tonnes | -20.0% |
| 2009 | 1.56 million tonnes | +2.6% |
| 2010 | 1.71 million tonnes | +9.5% |
| 2011 | 1.76 million tonnes | +2.8% |
| 2012 | 1.52 million tonnes | -13.4% |
| 2013 | 1.80 million tonnes | +18.7% |
| 2014 | 1.57 million tonnes | -12.7% |
| 2015 | 1.68 million tonnes | +6.9% |
| 2016 | 587,642 tonnes | -65.1% |
| 2017 | 425,047 tonnes | -27.7% |
| 2018 | 570,807 tonnes | +34.3% |
| 2019 | 684,587 tonnes | +19.9% |
| 2020 | 661,092 tonnes | -3.4% |
| 2021 | 636,952 tonnes | -3.7% |
| 2022 | 536,177 tonnes | -15.8% |
| 2023 | 468,258 tonnes | -12.7% |
| 2024 | 413,319 tonnes | -11.7% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 413,319 tonnes is above the median for low income countries, which is 413,319 tonnes, 1.0× the median. (19 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 413,319 tonnes is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 303,031 tonnes, 1.4× the median. (18 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Potato production 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | -65.1% | 1.68 million tonnes | 587,642 tonnes |
| 1998 | +58.6% | 800,000 tonnes | 1.27 million tonnes |
| 1997 | +56.9% | 510,000 tonnes | 800,000 tonnes |
| 1993 | -53.6% | 867,000 tonnes | 402,000 tonnes |
| 1994 | +42.5% | 402,000 tonnes | 573,000 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 390,000 tonnes | 390,000 tonnes | 390,000 tonnes | 9 |
| 1970s | 475,500 tonnes | 400,000 tonnes | 600,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 706,000 tonnes | 620,000 tonnes | 800,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 792,000 tonnes | 402,000 tonnes | 1.47 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.91 million tonnes | 1.52 million tonnes | 2.27 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.23 million tonnes | 425,047 tonnes | 1.80 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 543,160 tonnes | 413,319 tonnes | 661,092 tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
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 potato production in North Korea?
- Potato production in North Korea was 413,319 tonnes 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 potato production recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 2.27 million tonnes in 2001.
- What is the lowest potato production recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 390,000 tonnes in 1961.
- How does North Korea rank for potato production?
- North Korea ranks 73rd out of 160 countries with data for 2024.
- Is potato production rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 73.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- 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 Potato production. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Potato production is measured in tonnes.