Agricultural production in North Korea
According to FAOSTAT, North Korea produced 4.9 million t of cereals, 3.3 million t of vegetables, 1.8 million t of fruit, 344,589 t of meat and 84,169 t of milk in 2024. Its largest crops by volume were maize (2.3 million t), rice (2.2 million t) and apples (801,602 t).
- Products recorded
- 64
- World #1
- 0
- products
- World top 10
- 6
- products
- Year
- 2024
North Korea ranks second or third in the world for rabbit meat.
Among its twelve largest crops, the biggest ten-year change was in wheat (+100%), followed by potatoes (−74%).
Livestock numbers: 570,727 cattle, 2.5 million pigs, 164,779 sheep and 4.0 million goats.
Totals by group
| Group | Tonnes | World rank | Share | 10-year change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All cereals | 4,885,461 | 60 | 0.16% | −6.5% |
| All vegetables | 3,312,629 | 35 | 0.28% | −0.2% |
| All fruit | 1,822,926 | 64 | 0.19% | +3.3% |
| All roots and tubers | 989,657 | 78 | 0.1% | −50% |
| All meat | 344,589 | 89 | 0.09% | +1.6% |
| All pulses | 328,079 | 41 | 0.34% | +3.5% |
| All eggs | 128,401 | 48 | 0.13% | −1.2% |
| All milk | 84,169 | 132 | 0.01% | +1.2% |
| All tree nuts | 30,167 | 50 | 0.16% | −19% |
All products by volume, 2024
| Product | Tonnes | World rank | Share | 10-year change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maize | 2,300,000 | 41 | 0.19% | −2.1% |
| Rice (paddy) | 2,250,000 | 28 | 0.27% | −14% |
| Other vegetables, fresh n.e.c. | 2,050,027 | 11 | 0.73% | −0.6% |
| Apples | 801,602 | 19 | 0.82% | +3.1% |
| Cabbages | 700,202 | 14 | 0.93% | +1.7% |
| Sweet potatoes | 576,338 | 22 | 0.63% | +46% |
| Other fruits, n.e.c. | 574,446 | 14 | 1.46% | +6.2% |
| Potatoes | 413,319 | 72 | 0.11% | −74% |
| Beans, dry | 328,079 | 19 | 1.08% | +3.5% |
| Soybeans | 180,000 | 32 | 0.05% | −49% |
| Rabbit meat | 156,672 | 2 | 18.49% | +2.5% |
| Pears | 151,353 | 16 | 0.55% | +4.8% |
| Hen eggs | 128,401 | 48 | 0.14% | −1.2% |
| Peaches and nectarines | 122,610 | 21 | 0.44% | +2.3% |
| Pork (pig meat) | 115,276 | 55 | 0.09% | +10% |
| Watermelons | 91,427 | 65 | 0.09% | −3.3% |
| Wheat | 90,073 | 82 | 0.01% | +100% |
| Spring onions and shallots | 88,540 | 15 | 1.59% | −1.4% |
| Tobacco, unmanufactured | 88,036 | 13 | 1.46% | +8.5% |
| Onions, dry | 86,809 | 74 | 0.08% | +0.8% |
| Cow milk | 84,169 | 127 | 0.01% | +1.2% |
| Melons | 81,489 | 29 | 0.29% | −7.2% |
| Millet | 77,049 | 23 | 0.25% | +4.2% |
| Green garlic | 75,194 | 20 | 0.25% | −5.7% |
| Pumpkins and squash | 71,694 | 50 | 0.21% | −5.0% |
| Cucumbers | 67,395 | 49 | 0.08% | +0.8% |
| Tomatoes | 66,533 | 90 | 0.04% | +0.7% |
| Rye | 64,778 | 23 | 0.56% | −4.9% |
| Barley | 53,060 | 69 | 0.04% | +342% |
| Eggplants | 50,151 | 37 | 0.09% | +5.0% |
| Chillies and peppers, green | 49,927 | 54 | 0.11% | −0.4% |
| Beer | 40,418 | 117 | 0.02% | +23% |
| Sorghum | 36,463 | 54 | 0.06% | +6.0% |
| Seed cotton | 35,865 | 40 | 0.05% | −10% |
| Oil of maize | 31,612 | 19 | 1.03% | +26% |
| Chicken meat | 22,522 | 124 | 0.02% | −33% |
| Beef (cattle meat) | 20,349 | 121 | 0.03% | −5.2% |
| Soya bean oil | 20,000 | 59 | 0.03% | −13% |
| Other nuts | 17,219 | 15 | 1.58% | −31% |
| Cotton seed | 16,777 | 45 | 0.04% | −35% |
| True hemp, raw or retted | 15,523 | 5 | 4.21% | +8.3% |
| Goat meat | 14,398 | 50 | 0.19% | +0.7% |
| Duck meat | 14,358 | 22 | 0.2% | +31% |
| Oats | 14,038 | 49 | 0.06% | −7.5% |
| Chestnuts, in shell | 12,948 | 10 | 0.62% | +7.7% |
| Cotton lint | 12,000 | 43 | 0.05% | 0.0% |
| Edible offal of pigs, fresh, chilled or frozen | 9,376 | 34 | 0.11% | +10% |
| Fat of pigs | 7,992 | 35 | 0.07% | +10% |
| Mushrooms | 6,156 | 31 | 0.01% | +4.2% |
| Edible offal of cattle, fresh, chilled or frozen | 3,591 | 97 | 0.04% | −5.2% |
| Edible offal of goat, fresh, chilled or frozen | 2,912 | 44 | 0.2% | +0.7% |
| Raw hides and skins of cattle | 2,873 | 102 | 0.03% | −5.2% |
| Cottonseed oil | 2,763 | 44 | 0.07% | −35% |
| Silk-worm cocoons suitable for reeling | 2,581 | 5 | 0.56% | +13% |
| Hop cones | 2,022 | 8 | 1.28% | +0.2% |
| Raw hides and skins of goats or kids | 1,952 | 54 | 0.13% | +0.7% |
| Sheep meat | 1,013 | 118 | 0.01% | +1.2% |
| Cattle fat, unrendered | 559 | 103 | 0.02% | −5.1% |
| Goat fat, unrendered | 480 | 45 | 0.15% | +0.6% |
| Raw silk (not thrown) | 370 | 5 | 0.39% | +23% |
| Raw hides and skins of sheep or lambs | 205 | 101 | 0.01% | +1.5% |
| Edible offal of sheep, fresh, chilled or frozen | 171 | 101 | 0.01% | +1.2% |
| Sheep fat, unrendered | 34 | 102 | 0.01% | +3.0% |
| Buttermilk, dry | 2 | 135 | 0% | — |
Live animals, 2024
North Korea among the world’s producers, 2024
Share of world production by country for the largest crops of North Korea, which is outlined on the map.
Small island states are not drawn at this scale.
Production per person, 2024
North Korea had 26.5 million inhabitants in 2024 (FAOSTAT estimate). Production of its largest products per inhabitant, compared with the world average:
| Product | kg per person | World, kg per person | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maize | 86.8 | 149 | 0.6× |
| Rice (paddy) | 84.9 | 100 | 0.8× |
| Other vegetables, fresh n.e.c. | 77.4 | 34.5 | 2.2× |
| Apples | 30.3 | 12.0 | 2.5× |
| Cabbages | 26.4 | 9.25 | 2.9× |
| Sweet potatoes | 21.7 | 11.1 | 2.0× |
| Other fruits, n.e.c. | 21.7 | 4.81 | 4.5× |
| Potatoes | 15.6 | 47.8 | 0.3× |
| Beans, dry | 12.4 | 3.71 | 3.3× |
| Soybeans | 6.79 | 48.7 | 0.1× |
| Rabbit meat | 5.91 | 0.10 | 57.0× |
| Pears | 5.71 | 3.39 | 1.7× |
Production divided by population; it is not consumption, because crops are traded and used for feed, processing and industry.
Trade in agricultural products, 2024
North Korea reported exports of 5 and imports of 57 of the products covered here.
Largest exports by value
| Product | Tonnes | Value | USD/kg | World rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raw silk (not thrown) | 443 | USD 3.7 m | 8.29 | 5 of 15 |
| Beer of barley, malted | 543 | USD 211,000 | 0.39 | 102 of 149 |
| Strawberries | 1 | USD 9,000 | 9.00 | 82 of 87 |
| Oil of sesame seed | 3 | USD 3,000 | 1.00 | 70 of 84 |
| Persimmons | 1 | USD 2,000 | 2.00 | 70 of 73 |
Largest imports by value
| Product | Tonnes | Value | USD/kg | World rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soya bean oil | 79,156 | USD 108 m | 1.37 | 30 of 184 |
| Meat of ducks, fresh or chilled | 21,441 | USD 23.3 m | 1.09 | 2 of 150 |
| Tangerines, mandarins, clementines | 32,147 | USD 19.9 m | 0.62 | 36 of 169 |
| Apples | 24,363 | USD 13.2 m | 0.54 | 60 of 190 |
| Chillies and peppers, dry (Capsicum spp., Pimenta spp.), raw | 5,992 | USD 11.9 m | 1.99 | 29 of 180 |
| Palm oil | 6,700 | USD 7.8 m | 1.17 | 117 of 191 |
| Bananas | 8,205 | USD 7.5 m | 0.91 | 79 of 139 |
| Whole milk powder | 2,057 | USD 6.4 m | 3.10 | 80 of 190 |
| Cotton lint, ginned | 1,995 | USD 4.4 m | 2.22 | 44 of 148 |
| Soya beans | 5,000 | USD 3.5 m | 0.70 | 87 of 165 |
FAOSTAT detailed trade data, release of 23 July 2026: quantities in tonnes and values in current US dollars as reported; exports include re-exports. Only the FAO trade items that match Husfarm production pages are included: meat covers fresh or chilled meat only (frozen meat is a separate item), and processed goods such as milled rice or flour are not listed.
Questions and answers
What are the main crops produced in North Korea?
By volume, the largest products of North Korea in 2024 were maize (2.3 million t), rice (paddy) (2.3 million t), other vegetables, fresh n.e.c. (2.1 million t), according to FAOSTAT.
Is North Korea the world’s largest producer of anything?
Not in 2024. Its highest world rank was 2nd, for rabbit meat.
How much maize does North Korea produce per person?
About 86.8 kg per inhabitant in 2024, compared with a world average of 149 kg (production divided by population, FAOSTAT).
What does North Korea export most?
By value, its largest agricultural exports in 2024 among the products covered here were raw silk (not thrown) (USD 3.7 m), beer of barley, malted (USD 211,000), strawberries (USD 9,000), according to FAOSTAT.
What does North Korea import most?
By value, its largest agricultural imports in 2024 among the products covered here were soya bean oil (USD 108 m), meat of ducks, fresh or chilled (USD 23.3 m), tangerines, mandarins, clementines (USD 19.9 m).
Where does this data come from?
Production, trade and population figures are from FAOSTAT, the statistics database of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Rankings, shares and per-person figures are calculated by Husfarm.
Source: FAO. 2025. FAOSTAT: Crops and livestock products. Accessed on 4 November 2026. fao.org/faostat. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Charts, rankings and changes calculated by Husfarm.