Prevalence of undernourishment in Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea: Prevalence of undernourishment was 47 in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
47
Change on year
down 1.1%
World rank
3rd
of 169 countries
All-time high
47.5
in 2017
All-time low
32.9
in 2003
Years of data
18
2001–2018

Prevalence of undernourishment in Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, 2001–2018

010203040502001200920182001: 35.92002: 35.22003: 32.92004: 33.22005: 34.52006: 372007: 39.12008: 40.52009: 422010: 42.92011: 43.42012: 43.72013: 43.72014: 44.52015: 45.22016: 462017: 47.52018: 47

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea recorded 47 for prevalence of undernourishment in 2018.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.1% on the previous year and up 16.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, prevalence of undernourishment in Democratic People’s Republic of Korea peaked at 47.5 in 2017 and was at its lowest, 32.9, in 2003.

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea ranks 3rd of 169 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 18 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 36.7 32.9 42 9
2010s 44.88 42.9 47.5 9

Countries ranked near Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

  1. 1 Haiti 54.2 compare
  2. 2 Somalia 53.2 compare
  3. 4 Madagascar 39.5 compare
  4. 5 Syrian Arab Republic 39 compare
  5. 6 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 38.5 compare

See the full ranking of 169 places →

More reference data data for Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

All data for Democratic People’s Republic of Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is prevalence of undernourishment in Democratic People’s Republic of Korea?
Prevalence of undernourishment in Democratic People’s Republic of Korea was 47 in 2018, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest prevalence of undernourishment recorded in Democratic People’s Republic of Korea?
The highest recorded value was 47.5 in 2017.
What is the lowest prevalence of undernourishment recorded in Democratic People’s Republic of Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 32.9 in 2003.
How does Democratic People’s Republic of Korea rank for prevalence of undernourishment?
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea ranks 3rd out of 169 countries with data for 2018.
Is prevalence of undernourishment rising or falling in Democratic People’s Republic of Korea?
Over the last ten years it is up 16.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Democratic People’s Republic of Korea data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Prevalence of undernourishment. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Prevalence of undernourishment in Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 20 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/prevalence-of-undernourishment/korea-dem-people-s-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Prevalence of undernourishment
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
169 places, 3,850 data points, 2001–2023
Last refreshed