UNICEF's country profile for Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, including under-five mortality rates, child health, education and sanitation data.

North Korea KP: Mortality Rate: Infant: Male: per 1000 Live Births data was reported at 15.700 Ratio in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 17.400 Ratio for 2015. North Korea KP: Mortality Rate: Infant: Male: per 1000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 25.000 Ratio from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2017, with 5 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 48.000 Ratio in 2000 and a record low of 15.700 Ratio in 2017. North Korea KP: Mortality Rate: Infant: Male: per 1000 Live Births data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s North Korea – Table KP.World Bank: Health Statistics. Infant mortality rate, male is the number of male infants dying before reaching one year of age, per 1,000 male live births in a given year.; ; Estimates developed by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, UN DESA Population Division) at www.childmortality.org.; Weighted average; Given that data on the incidence and prevalence of diseases are frequently unavailable, mortality rates are often used to identify vulnerable populations. Moreover, they are among the indicators most frequently used to compare socioeconomic development across countries. Under-five mortality rates are higher for boys than for girls in countries in which parental gender preferences are insignificant. Under-five mortality captures the effect of gender discrimination better than infant mortality does, as malnutrition and medical interventions have more significant impacts to this age group. Where female under-five mortality is higher, girls are likely to have less access to resources than boys.

Graph and download economic data for Infant Mortality Rate for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (SPDYNIMRTINPRK) from 1960 to 2023 about North Korea, mortality, infant, and rate.

Historical dataset showing North Korea infant mortality rate by year from 1960 to 2023.

Actual value and historical data chart for North Korea Mortality Rate Infant Male Per 1000 Live Births

North Korea KP: Mortality Rate: Under-5: Female: per 1000 Live Births data was reported at 17.200 Ratio in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 19.000 Ratio for 2015. North Korea KP: Mortality Rate: Under-5: Female: per 1000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 26.900 Ratio from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2017, with 5 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 55.800 Ratio in 2000 and a record low of 17.200 Ratio in 2017. North Korea KP: Mortality Rate: Under-5: Female: per 1000 Live Births data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s North Korea – Table KP.World Bank: Health Statistics. Under-five mortality rate, female is the probability per 1,000 that a newborn female baby will die before reaching age five, if subject to female age-specific mortality rates of the specified year.; ; Estimates Developed by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, UN DESA Population Division) at www.childmortality.org.; Weighted average; Given that data on the incidence and prevalence of diseases are frequently unavailable, mortality rates are often used to identify vulnerable populations. Moreover, they are among the indicators most frequently used to compare socioeconomic development across countries. Under-five mortality rates are higher for boys than for girls in countries in which parental gender preferences are insignificant. Under-five mortality captures the effect of gender discrimination better than infant mortality does, as malnutrition and medical interventions have more significant impacts to this age group. Where female under-five mortality is higher, girls are likely to have less access to resources than boys.

Korea, Democratic People's Republic of (North Korea) - Infant Mortality Rate for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea was 14.50000 Number per 1,000 Live Births in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Korea, Democratic People's Republic of (North Korea) - Infant Mortality Rate for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea reached a record high of 55.10000 in January of 1996 and a record low of 13.10000 in January of 2019. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Korea, Democratic People's Republic of (North Korea) - Infant Mortality Rate for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on December of 2025.

In 2023, the crude birth rate in live births per 1,000 inhabitants in North Korea amounted to 12.95. Between 1960 and 2023, the figure dropped by 21.89, though the decline followed an uneven course rather than a steady trajectory.

North Korea KP: Completeness of Infant Death Reporting data was reported at 72.540 % in 2008. North Korea KP: Completeness of Infant Death Reporting data is updated yearly, averaging 72.540 % from Dec 2008 (Median) to 2008, with 1 observations. North Korea KP: Completeness of Infant Death Reporting data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s North Korea – Table KP.World Bank: Health Statistics. Completeness of infant death reporting is the number of infant deaths reported by national statistics authorities to the United Nations Statistics Division's Demography Yearbook divided by the number of infant deaths estimated by the United Nations Population Division.; ; The United Nations Statistics Division's Population and Vital Statistics Report and the United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects.; ;

In 1900, the crude birth rate in the area of modern-day North Korea was estimated to be approximately 42 births per thousand people, meaning just over 4.2% of the population was born in that year. This rate would remain largely unchanged for the first few decades of the 20th century, but would fluctuate greatly in the between the 1940s and 1970s, due to the impact of the Second World War in the 1930s and 1940s, followed by the devastating Korean War in the early 1950s, and then the period of instability and adjustment that followed the war. After falling to just under 21 births per thousand people by 1980, the crude birth rate would remain largely stable until the turn of the century, before falling below 14 births per thousand people.

Actual value and historical data chart for North Korea Number Of Infant Deaths

Over the observation period until 2023, the life expectancy exhibits fluctuations among the two gender groups Only for the life expectancy of women at birth, a significant increase can be observed over the observation period. Here, the life expectancy exhibits a difference of 1.44 years between 2013 and 2023. Life expectancy at birth refers to the number of years that the average newborn can expect to live, providing that mortality patterns at the time of their birth do not change thereafter.Find further similar statistics for other countries or regions like Faroe Islands (the) and Cyprus.

Graph and download economic data for Life Expectancy at Birth, Total for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (SPDYNLE00INPRK) from 1960 to 2023 about North Korea, life expectancy, life, and birth.

Graph and download economic data for Crude Birth Rate for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (SPDYNCBRTINPRK) from 1960 to 2023 about North Korea, birth, crude, and rate.

Historical dataset showing North Korea birth rate by year from 1960 to 2023.

North Korea KP: Life Expectancy at Birth: Total data was reported at 71.685 Year in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 71.457 Year for 2015. North Korea KP: Life Expectancy at Birth: Total data is updated yearly, averaging 66.571 Year from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2016, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 71.685 Year in 2016 and a record low of 51.297 Year in 1960. North Korea KP: Life Expectancy at Birth: Total data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s North Korea – Table KP.World Bank: Health Statistics. Life expectancy at birth indicates the number of years a newborn infant would live if prevailing patterns of mortality at the time of its birth were to stay the same throughout its life.; ; (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision, or derived from male and female life expectancy at birth from sources such as: (2) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (4) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Reprot (various years), (5) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database, and (6) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme.; Weighted average;

North Korea KP: Birth Rate: Crude: per 1000 People data was reported at 13.834 Ratio in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 13.873 Ratio for 2015. North Korea KP: Birth Rate: Crude: per 1000 People data is updated yearly, averaging 20.651 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2016, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 37.774 Ratio in 1968 and a record low of 13.834 Ratio in 2016. North Korea KP: Birth Rate: Crude: per 1000 People data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s North Korea – Table KP.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Crude birth rate indicates the number of live births occurring during the year, per 1,000 population estimated at midyear. Subtracting the crude death rate from the crude birth rate provides the rate of natural increase, which is equal to the rate of population change in the absence of migration.; ; (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision. (2) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (4) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Reprot (various years), (5) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database, and (6) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme.; Weighted average;

Birth rate, crude (per 1,000 people) in North Korea was reported at 12.95 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. North Korea - Birth rate, crude - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on November of 2025.

The average for 2022 based on 28 countries was 33.18 births per 1000 people. The highest value was in the Central African Republic: 45.42 births per 1000 people and the lowest value was in North Korea: 13.15 births per 1000 people. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

North Korea KP: Life Expectancy at Birth: Male data was reported at 68.055 Year in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 67.829 Year for 2015. North Korea KP: Life Expectancy at Birth: Male data is updated yearly, averaging 62.993 Year from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2016, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 68.055 Year in 2016 and a record low of 48.424 Year in 1960. North Korea KP: Life Expectancy at Birth: Male data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s North Korea – Table KP.World Bank: Health Statistics. Life expectancy at birth indicates the number of years a newborn infant would live if prevailing patterns of mortality at the time of its birth were to stay the same throughout its life.; ; (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision. (2) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (4) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Reprot (various years), (5) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database, and (6) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme.; Weighted average;