ve led to increasing interruptions in industrial production.
Abundant mineral resources and hydropower have formed the basis of
industrial development since World War 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, and a
cumbersome distribution system have resulted in chronic food
shortages. The year 1995 was marked by serious summer floods that
worsened an already tenuous food situation. Substantial grain
shipments from Japan and South Korea offset a portion of the losses.
North Korea remains far behind South Korea in economic development
and living standards.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $21.5 billion (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate: -5% (1995 est.)

GDP per capita: $920 (1995 est.)

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%

Labor force: 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: 9,500,000 kW
production: 50 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 2,053 kWh (1993)

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

Exports: $840 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
commodities: minerals, metallurgical products, agricultural and
fishery products, manufactures (including armaments)
partners: China, Japan, South Korea, Germany, Hong Kong, Russia

Imports: $1.27 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
commodities: petroleum, grain, coking coal, machinery and equipment,
consumer goods
partners: China, Japan, Hong Kong, Germany, Russia, Singapore

External debt: $8 billion (1992 est.)

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

Currency: 1 Nor