Cereal production in North Korea
North Korea: Cereal production was 4.89 million in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
4.89 million
Change on year
up 2.1%
World rank
61st
of 186 countries
All-time high
9.14 million
in 1993
All-time low
2.61 million
in 1996
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Cereal production in North Korea, 1961–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for cereal production in North Korea is 4.89 million, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.1% on the previous year and down 6.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cereal production in North Korea peaked at 9.14 million in 1993 and was at its lowest, 2.61 million, in 1996.
North Korea ranks 61st of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Cereal production in North Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 3.58 million | — |
| 1962 | 3.73 million | +4.0% |
| 1963 | 4.05 million | +8.8% |
| 1964 | 4.21 million | +3.9% |
| 1965 | 3.71 million | -12.0% |
| 1966 | 4.07 million | +9.9% |
| 1967 | 3.79 million | -7.0% |
| 1968 | 3.66 million | -3.3% |
| 1969 | 4.38 million | +19.6% |
| 1970 | 4.36 million | -0.3% |
| 1971 | 4.50 million | +3.1% |
| 1972 | 4.31 million | -4.2% |
| 1973 | 4.82 million | +11.8% |
| 1974 | 5.07 million | +5.2% |
| 1975 | 5.25 million | +3.5% |
| 1976 | 5.49 million | +4.6% |
| 1977 | 5.80 million | +5.6% |
| 1978 | 5.80 million | -0.0% |
| 1979 | 6.01 million | +3.6% |
| 1980 | 5.75 million | -4.2% |
| 1981 | 6.25 million | +8.7% |
| 1982 | 5.33 million | -14.8% |
| 1983 | 5.48 million | +2.9% |
| 1984 | 5.83 million | +6.3% |
| 1985 | 5.84 million | +0.3% |
| 1986 | 6.23 million | +6.7% |
| 1987 | 6.24 million | +0.1% |
| 1988 | 6.25 million | +0.2% |
| 1989 | 6.47 million | +3.4% |
| 1990 | 6.28 million | -2.9% |
| 1991 | 8.82 million | +40.5% |
| 1992 | 8.68 million | -1.6% |
| 1993 | 9.14 million | +5.3% |
| 1994 | 7.21 million | -21.0% |
| 1995 | 3.81 million | -47.3% |
| 1996 | 2.61 million | -31.3% |
| 1997 | 2.89 million | +10.4% |
| 1998 | 4.44 million | +53.8% |
| 1999 | 3.85 million | -13.2% |
| 2000 | 2.94 million | -23.6% |
| 2001 | 3.88 million | +31.9% |
| 2002 | 4.21 million | +8.5% |
| 2003 | 4.39 million | +4.3% |
| 2004 | 4.49 million | +2.1% |
| 2005 | 4.65 million | +3.6% |
| 2006 | 4.68 million | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 3.89 million | -16.7% |
| 2008 | 4.68 million | +20.2% |
| 2009 | 4.44 million | -5.2% |
| 2010 | 4.51 million | +1.7% |
| 2011 | 4.69 million | +4.0% |
| 2012 | 5.20 million | +10.7% |
| 2013 | 5.20 million | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 5.22 million | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 4.48 million | -14.2% |
| 2016 | 4.98 million | +11.0% |
| 2017 | 4.84 million | -2.6% |
| 2018 | 4.24 million | -12.5% |
| 2019 | 5.71 million | +34.6% |
| 2020 | 4.66 million | -18.3% |
| 2021 | 4.74 million | +1.5% |
| 2022 | 4.78 million | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 4.79 million | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 4.89 million | +2.1% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 4.89 million is above the median for low income countries, which is 2.71 million, 1.8× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 4.89 million is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3.19 million, 1.5× the median. (24 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Cereal 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | +53.8% | 2.89 million | 4.44 million |
| 1995 | -47.3% | 7.21 million | 3.81 million |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.91 million | 3.58 million | 4.38 million | 9 |
| 1970s | 5.14 million | 4.31 million | 6.01 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 5.97 million | 5.33 million | 6.47 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.77 million | 2.61 million | 9.14 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.22 million | 2.94 million | 4.68 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.91 million | 4.24 million | 5.71 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.77 million | 4.66 million | 4.89 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
More agriculture & rural data for North Korea
- Rural population growth -0.6% (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, annual growth rate -0.0251 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, per capita 0.0976 hectares per person (2025)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per capita 0.0957 hectares per person (2025)
- Rural population 35.8% (2025)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, annual growth rate -0.0256 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.6454 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population 9.52 million (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3581 units per person (2025)
- Land animals slaughtered for meat, per square kilometre 170.04 animals per square kilometre (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is cereal production in North Korea?
- Cereal production in North Korea was 4.89 million in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest cereal production recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 9.14 million in 1993.
- What is the lowest cereal production recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.61 million in 1996.
- How does North Korea rank for cereal production?
- North Korea ranks 61st out of 186 countries with data for 2024.
- Is cereal production rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this North Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Cereal 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).