r II. Manufacturing is centered on heavy industry, including
military industry, with light industry lagging far behind. Despite the
use of improved seed varieties, expansion of irrigation, and the heavy
use of fertilizers, North Korea has not yet become self-sufficient in
food production. Indeed, a shortage of arable lands, several years of
poor harvests, systemic inefficiencies, a cumbersome distribution
system, and extensive floods in 1995-96 have resulted in recurring
food shortages. Substantial grain shipments from Japan and South Korea
are offsetting a portion of the losses. North Korea remains far behind
South Korea in economic development and living standards.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $20.9 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: -5% (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $900 (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 25%
industry: 60%
services: 15% (1995 est.)

Inflation rate - consumer price index: NA%

Labor force:
total: 9.615 million
by occupation: agricultural 36%, nonagricultural 64%

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget:
revenues: $19.3 billion
expenditures : $19.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1992 est.)

Industries: military products; machine building, electric power,
chemicals; mining (coal, iron ore, magnesite, graphite, copper, zinc,
lead, and precious metals), metallurgy; textiles, food processing

Industrial production growth rate: -7% to -9% (1992 est.)

Electricity - capacity: 9.5 million kW (1994)

Electricity - production: 35.96 billion kWh (1994)

Electricity - consumption per capita: 1,394 kWh (1995 est.)

Agriculture - products: rice, corn, potatoes, soybeans, pulses;
cattle, pigs, pork, eggs

Exports:
total value: $805 million (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
commodities: minerals, metallurgical products, agricultural and
fishery products, manufactures (including armaments)
partners : China, Japan, South Korea, Germany, Hong Kong, Russia

Imports:
total value: $1.24 billion (c.i.f., 1995 est.)
commodities : petroleum, grain, coking coal, machinery and equipment,
consumer goods
partners: China, Japan, Hong Kong, Germany, Russia, Singapore

Debt - external: $8 billion (1992 est.)

Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $NA
note: small amounts of grant aid from South Korea, Japan, US and other
countries

Currency: 1 North Korean won (Wn) = 100 chon

Exchange rates: North Korean won (Wn) per US$1 - 2.15 (May 1994), 2.13
(May 19