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BBCSwinney defends food prices policy ahead of first minister vote·Economic TimesIndia fuel price hike among world's lowest: BJP·SCMPSome Asian airlines could collapse like Spirit without help on rising fuel costs·SCMPTexans accuse Japan of doing ‘deal with the devil’ by funding US fossil fuel projects·SCMPHong Kong property upswing poised to hold despite interest rates risk: Moody’s·SCMPCuba warns of ‘bloodbath’ if US attacks as Washington expands sanctions·NYTOil Prices Climb and Bonds Falter as Iran War Raises Inflation Fears·NYTG7 Finance Ministers Look to Contain Iran Economic Fallout·BBCSwinney defends food prices policy ahead of first minister vote·Economic TimesIndia fuel price hike among world's lowest: BJP·SCMPSome Asian airlines could collapse like Spirit without help on rising fuel costs·SCMPTexans accuse Japan of doing ‘deal with the devil’ by funding US fossil fuel projects·SCMPHong Kong property upswing poised to hold despite interest rates risk: Moody’s·SCMPCuba warns of ‘bloodbath’ if US attacks as Washington expands sanctions·NYTOil Prices Climb and Bonds Falter as Iran War Raises Inflation Fears·NYTG7 Finance Ministers Look to Contain Iran Economic Fallout·
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KPW

North Korean Won

KPW · North Korea

65
High
Risk
What does this mean for you?

The North Korean Won is under significant pressure, scoring 65 out of 100. This isn't a crisis yet, but things are moving in the wrong direction. If you're saving in this currency, you need to be paying attention — your purchasing power is being eroded.

To keep up, your money needs to grow by at least 57% per year. Every KPW100 saved today buys about KPW65 next year. Calculator ↓

Inflation
55.0%
Debt / GDP
Not available
GDP Growth
-0.1%
FX Volatility
0.0
Governance
-2.5
Reserves
Not available
Analysis
What's working well
Limited positive signals
What to watch out for
The official exchange rate doesn't match what people actually pay (5000% gap)
Restrictions on moving your money out of the country
Prices rising fast (55.0% per year) — your savings lose value quickly
Full North Korea analysis →

Savings Impact Calculator

KPW
Holding cash in KPW55.0% inflation
KPW 112−KPW 888 (89% purchasing power lost)
Your KPW 1,000 buys 89% less in 5 years
What if you invested KPW 1,000 instead? (5yr, in KPW terms)
USD-denominated assets gain an additional ~52.0%/yr from expected KPW depreciation vs USD
Hold USD Cash
KPW 7344
+KPW 6344
+49.0%/yr net in KPW
S&P 500
KPW 11.2k
+KPW 10.2k
range: KPW 6634–KPW 17.9k
10% USD return + 52.0% FX · ±16% vol
Gold
KPW 10.5k
+KPW 9486
range: KPW 4653–KPW 21.1k
8% USD return + 52.0% FX · ±24% vol
Bitcoin
KPW 17.4k
+KPW 16.4k
range: KPW 2815–KPW 65.8k
25% USD return + 52.0% FX · ±54% vol

All values in KPW. USD-denominated assets (S&P 500, Gold, Bitcoin) include an estimated FX gain of ~52.0%/yr based on the inflation differential between North Korea (55.0%) and the US (~3%). This uses purchasing power parity as a long-run approximation — actual FX movements can differ significantly in the short term. S&P 500 based on 1957-2024, Gold on 2000-2024, Bitcoin on 2015-2024. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Not financial advice.

Holding other assets too? Calculate your full portfolio risk →
This score is based on our 12-factor risk model. Think inflation or debt should matter more? Build your own model with custom weights and see how KPW ranks differently.
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