North Korea
Leading cause: Heart Disease · 65% plant-based · 73.3 yr life expectancy · UHC 77/100
What People Eat
Cardiovascular and dietary profile drawn from WHO Global Health Estimates. Plant-based score reflects the share of whole plant foods (grains, legumes, vegetables, fruit, nuts) in the typical national diet.
Disease Burden
Leading cause of death: Heart Disease · 230 / 100k
Bars show each rate against the global range; the tick marks the world median.
Heart disease (230/100k) leads, but chronic food insecurity, periodic famine, and an isolated, under-resourced health system shape outcomes far more than dietary composition. The rice-, maize-, and vegetable-based diet is plant-heavy largely out of scarcity.
Healthcare System
Sources: WHO UHC Service Coverage Index (SDG 3.8.1) & WHO Global Health Expenditure Database. Latest available year.
What Could Improve
- Food security and basic healthcare capacity are the overwhelming, structural priorities.
- Reliable nutrition, not dietary change, is what this population most needs.
Explore the evidence: Heart Disease
WHO Global Health Estimates · 2022 · age-standardized country data
→ 230 CVD deaths per 100k · 65% plant-based diet