Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Korea, Democratic People's Republic of
Korea, Democratic People's Republic of: Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) was 3.4% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
3.4%
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
129th
of 187 countries
All-time high
3.6%
in 2021
All-time low
2.6%
in 1991
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Korea, Democratic People's Republic of, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Korea, Democratic People's Republic of recorded 3.4% for unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 0.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Korea, Democratic People's Republic of peaked at 3.6% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 2.6%, in 1991.
Korea, Democratic People's Republic of ranks 129th of 187 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Korea, Democratic People's Republic of, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 2.6% | — |
| 1992 | 2.6% | +1.5% |
| 1993 | 2.7% | +3.9% |
| 1994 | 2.8% | +3.6% |
| 1995 | 2.8% | +0.9% |
| 1996 | 2.9% | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 3.0% | +3.5% |
| 1998 | 3.2% | +7.8% |
| 1999 | 3.4% | +6.4% |
| 2000 | 3.4% | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 3.4% | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 3.4% | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 3.4% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 3.4% | -2.0% |
| 2005 | 3.3% | -1.5% |
| 2006 | 3.3% | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 3.3% | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 3.3% | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 3.3% | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 3.3% | -1.7% |
| 2011 | 3.4% | +2.7% |
| 2012 | 3.5% | +2.8% |
| 2013 | 3.5% | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 3.4% | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 3.4% | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 3.4% | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 3.3% | -3.2% |
| 2018 | 3.3% | -1.3% |
| 2019 | 3.3% | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 3.5% | +6.8% |
| 2021 | 3.6% | +1.8% |
| 2022 | 3.4% | -6.5% |
| 2023 | 3.3% | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 3.4% | +2.4% |
| 2025 | 3.4% | +0.4% |
Korea, Democratic People's Republic of compared with similar countries
- Korea, Democratic People's Republic of's 3.4% is below the median for low income countries, which is 4.2%, 82% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Korea, Democratic People's Republic of's 3.4% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3.3%, 1.0× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.9% | 2.6% | 3.4% | 9 |
| 2000s | 3.4% | 3.3% | 3.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.4% | 3.3% | 3.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.4% | 3.3% | 3.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Korea, Democratic People's Republic of
More education data for Korea, Democratic People's Republic of
- Theoretical duration of lower secondary education (years), annual 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of primary education (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of pre-primary education (years), annual growth 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Start of the academic school year (pre-primary to post-secondary non) 0.0494 % change on previous year (2025)
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), gaps filled 2,021 tertiary education (2022)
- Duration of pre primary education, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), annual growth 0.0495 % change on previous year (2022)
- Theoretical duration of secondary education (years), annual growth 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Korea, Democratic People's Republic of?
- Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Korea, Democratic People's Republic of was 3.4% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, male (% of male labor force) recorded in Korea, Democratic People's Republic of?
- The highest recorded value was 3.6% in 2021.
- What is the lowest unemployment, male (% of male labor force) recorded in Korea, Democratic People's Republic of?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.6% in 1991.
- How does Korea, Democratic People's Republic of rank for unemployment, male (% of male labor force)?
- Korea, Democratic People's Republic of ranks 129th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, male (% of male labor force) rising or falling in Korea, Democratic People's Republic of?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Korea, Democratic People's Republic of data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment.