North Korea’s economy defies easy categorization — a nominally socialist system hollowed out by decades of mismanagement and sanctions, sustained by a sprawling informal market economy that the regime alternately tolerates and suppresses. Daily NK covers the North Korea economy through ground-level price tracking, foreign currency monitoring, reporting on economic policy directives, and analysis of how ordinary North Koreans navigate an environment of chronic scarcity and institutional dysfunction. Our market data — collected through a network of in-country sources — provides economic intelligence on the DPRK unavailable anywhere else in English.
Tag: economy
North Koreans flock to security-gated apartments as crime surges and coal...
North Koreans in major cities are increasingly turning away from traditional single-story homes in favor of apartment buildings, particularly those with staffed security guard...
Used car imports are fueling a booming vehicle repair industry across...
A surge in used vehicle imports over the past several years has sparked a booming auto repair industry across North Korea, with dedicated repair...
North Korea’s informal labor markets boom as jangmadang trade loses viability
Growing numbers of North Koreans are turning to informal day-labor markets to earn a living as tightened controls on jangmadang (the semi-official street markets...
North Korea market prices surge again as grain and fuel costs...
North Korea's market prices surged again in May 2026, reversing a brief lull and deepening economic hardship for ordinary North Koreans across the country.
According...
Chongjin households work through the night on wigs and eyelashes to...
Wig and eyelash assembly work has taken off as a cottage industry in Chongjin, North Korea's third-largest city, as intensifying market controls and rising...
North Korea’s fish farms struggle to survive as state demands results...
Fish farms across North Korea are preparing for the spring fingerling release season, but soaring feed costs and mounting maintenance expenses are pushing facilities...
Rising prices push North Korea housing costs out of reach for...
Housing costs across North Korea have surged two to four times their pre-pandemic levels, squeezing young couples out of the property market and prompting...
North Korea’s market price surge shows signs of easing
North Korean market prices, which had nearly doubled since early February 2026, showed signs of easing in late April, according to Daily NK's latest...
Air conditioners become a must-have in North Korea as summers grow...
Air conditioners are fast becoming a household essential in North Korea, with demand surging ahead of what many expect to be another punishing summer....
North Korean farm officials lease state land for double profits as...
Farm officials in North Korea's Jagang province are leasing portions of state-owned agricultural land to private individuals for a fee, a scheme that allows...




















