Between 70 and 90 percent of North Koreans make ends meet by buying and selling goods in the grey or black market now that the state rationing system has effectively been wiped out, according to a survey.

The survey was conducted by the Chosun Ilbo and Center for Cultural Unification Studies among 100 North Koreans living in the Chinese border areas of Dandong and Yanji from January until May.

Seventy said they have sold goods to make a living in the North.

Asked how pervasive the practice is, 37 of the respondents said more than 90 percent, while 21 said more than 80 percent and 15 said more than 70 percent.

"The state rationing system has collapsed except in Pyongyang and a few other areas, and it's difficult to survive on your wages alone, so most people make ends meet by selling goods," one North Korean said.

Another said, "A worker makes around W3,000 a month, but that's not enough to buy even a kilogram of rice, so you'd starve to death unless you sell goods at markets." He added, "You get scolded for not showing up for work, so people go to the office in the morning to check in and then head to the market."