North Korea vs South Korea: Cereal production
North Korea
4.89 million metric tons
in 2024
South Korea
5.13 million metric tons
in 2023
North Korea rank
58th
South Korea rank
57th
Cereal production over time
- North Korea
- South Korea
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 5.13 million metric tons against 4.89 million metric tons in North Korea, a difference of 248,560 metric tons.
That makes South Korea's figure about 1.1 times North Korea's.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 63 shared years of data; in 1961 it was South Korea ahead.
North Korea ranks 58th and South Korea ranks 57th of 181 countries.
South Korea has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | North Korea | South Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.91 million metric tons | 7.17 million metric tons | 3.26 million metric tons | South Korea |
| 1970s | 5.14 million metric tons | 8.96 million metric tons | 3.82 million metric tons | South Korea |
| 1980s | 5.97 million metric tons | 8.61 million metric tons | 2.64 million metric tons | South Korea |
| 1990s | 5.77 million metric tons | 7.42 million metric tons | 1.64 million metric tons | South Korea |
| 2000s | 4.22 million metric tons | 6.86 million metric tons | 2.64 million metric tons | South Korea |
| 2010s | 4.91 million metric tons | 5.71 million metric tons | 802,563 metric tons | South Korea |
| 2020s | 4.74 million metric tons | 5.19 million metric tons | 443,748 metric tons | South Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher cereal production, North Korea or South Korea?
- South Korea, at 5.13 million metric tons against 4.89 million metric tons in North Korea as of 2023.
- What is the difference in cereal production between North Korea and South Korea?
- 248,560 metric tons, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for North Korea and South Korea?
- 63 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2023.
- How do North Korea and South Korea rank globally for cereal production?
- North Korea ranks 58th and South Korea ranks 57th of 181 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as Cereal production (metric tons). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Production data on cereals relate to crops harvested for dry grain only. Cereal crops harvested for hay or harvested green for food, feed, or silage and those used for grazing are excluded.