Alcohol, heavy episodic drinking (15+) past 30 days (%) in North Korea
North Korea: Alcohol, heavy episodic drinking (15+) past 30 days (%) was 16.6% in 2020. ▬ Flat
Latest (2020)
16.6%
Change on year
down 4.2%
World rank
98th
of 186 countries
All-time high
17.7%
in 2000
All-time low
15.8%
in 2001
Years of data
21
2000–2020
Alcohol, heavy episodic drinking (15+) past 30 days (%) in North Korea, 2000–2020
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
In 2020, alcohol, heavy episodic drinking (15+) past 30 days (%) in North Korea stood at 16.6%.
That represents a change of down 4.2% on the previous year and down 3.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, alcohol, heavy episodic drinking (15+) past 30 days (%) in North Korea peaked at 17.7% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 15.8%, in 2001.
That places North Korea 98th out of 186 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
Alcohol, heavy episodic drinking (15+) past 30 days (%) in North Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 17.7% | — |
| 2001 | 15.8% | -10.9% |
| 2002 | 16.8% | +6.7% |
| 2003 | 16.8% | -0.0% |
| 2004 | 16.7% | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 16.8% | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 16.9% | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 16.5% | -2.1% |
| 2008 | 16.5% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 16.8% | +1.8% |
| 2010 | 17.2% | +2.2% |
| 2011 | 17.2% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 17.3% | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 17.4% | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 17.3% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 17.2% | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 17.5% | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 17.2% | -1.7% |
| 2018 | 17.1% | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 17.3% | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 16.6% | -4.2% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 16.6% is above the median for low income countries, which is 9.6%, 1.7× the median. (24 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 16.6% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 16.6%, 100% of the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 16.7% | 15.8% | 17.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 17.3% | 17.1% | 17.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.6% | 16.6% | 16.6% | 1 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
More social development data for North Korea
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 263 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 7 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 7 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 263 (2025)
- Sovereign state gleditsch ward, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of -7.07 % change on previous year (2025)
- Human Rights Index vs. Electoral Democracy Index 0.024 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is alcohol, heavy episodic drinking (15+) past 30 days (%) in North Korea?
- Alcohol, heavy episodic drinking (15+) past 30 days (%) in North Korea was 16.6% in 2020, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
- What is the highest alcohol, heavy episodic drinking (15+) past 30 days (%) recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 17.7% in 2000.
- What is the lowest alcohol, heavy episodic drinking (15+) past 30 days (%) recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.8% in 2001.
- How does North Korea rank for alcohol, heavy episodic drinking (15+) past 30 days (%)?
- North Korea ranks 98th out of 186 countries with data for 2020.
- Is alcohol, heavy episodic drinking (15+) past 30 days (%) rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this North Korea data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Alcohol, heavy episodic drinking (15+) past 30 days (%), age-standardized. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 21 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO).