How China keeps North Korea's economy alive

North Korea runs one of the most bizarre economies on the planet. Despite being one of only a handful of nations with nuclear weapons, its 2024 gross domestic product (GDP) was a paltry $26.6 billion (€22.9 billion).

This is about 70 times smaller than South Korea's $1.86 trillion economy and about a fifth of the annual revenue of the world's top-traded company, NVIDIA.

Thanks to a centrally planned economy that prioritizes domestic production, North Korea is nowhere near as reliant on trade as your average free-market economy, partly due to United Nations sanctions, introduced in 2017 over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles program.

The North's total imports and exports account for just a small fraction of GDP, versus the South, where international trade makes up around 80% of the economy, according to the World Bank.

You could say that China plays almost an exclusive role in North Korea's minimal reliance on trade .

According to the Washington-based think tank The National Committee on North Korea , Pyongyang depends on China for up to 95% of total trade and 85% of its exports.

Almost all imports also come from China. In 2024, North Korea's legitimate imports totaled just $2.33 billion — tiny by global standards.

With no domestic oil production, these deliveries from China include petroleum and other fuels and are essential in keeping the economy functioning, along with food, textiles, machinery, electronics and vehicles.