Poverty in North Korea

Poverty in North Korea is extensive, though reliable statistics are hard to come by due to lack of reliable research, pervasive censorship and extensive media manipulation in North Korea.

Poverty in North Korea has been widely repeated by Western media sources with the majority referring to the famine that affected the country in the mid-1990s. A 2006 report suggests that North Korea required an estimated 5.3m tonnes of grain per year while harvesting only an estimated 4.5m tonnes, and thus relies on foreign aid to overcome the deficit. Starvation continues to be a systemic problem. In 2021, there were reports of widespread starvation in North Korea.

Poverty in North Korea has also been attributed to poor governance by the regime. It is estimated that 60% of the total population of North Korea live below the poverty line in 2020.