Korea, Democratic People’s Republic of Net Migration

North Korea’s net migration has remained negative throughout the 66‑year series, moving from a zero balance in 1960 to a net outflow of –2,787.00 persons in 2025, ranking 94th globally. The indicator reached its all‑time trough of –3,745.00 in 1997, a period coinciding with severe food shortages and the collapse of the Soviet support network, while the highest recorded value of zero persisted in 1993. Compared with peers of similar rank, the country’s outflow is slightly lower than Bulgaria’s –2,961.00 and marginally higher than Mauritius’s –2,784.00, indicating that despite a modest recent improvement from the 1997 low, the migration balance remains firmly negative. Continued restrictions on movement, limited economic diversification and the persistence of sanctions are likely to keep net migration in the negative range, although any substantial policy shift toward openness or economic reform could reverse the current downward trajectory.