World 8.2bn peopleGDP $118tnLife expectancy 73.5 yrsOnline 73.6%
NotesAdvertise
World Report nowcountries in numbers
World Report now
  1. Home
  2. Countries
  3. North Korea
  4. Environment
KP
Environment · East Asia & Pacific · Low income

North Korea: environment and emissions

CO₂ per person is 2.50 t (2024), 106th of 203 in the world and 19th of 37 in East Asia & Pacific. GHG per person is 3.44 t (2024), 112th of 203 in the world and 18th of 37 in East Asia & Pacific. GHG emissions is 91.3 Mt (2024), 58th of 203 in the world and 12th of 37 in East Asia & Pacific.

CO₂ per person2.50 t2024 · world 106/203 · region 19/37GHG per person3.44 t2024 · world 112/203 · region 18/37GHG emissions91.3 Mt2024 · world 58/203 · region 12/37CO₂ emissions66.2 Mt2024 · world 50/203 · region 10/37
CO₂ per person
North KoreaEast Asia & PacificLow incomeWorld
0.02.04.06.08.0199520002005201020152020North Korea2.50 tEast Asia & PacificLow incomeWorld
GHG per person
North KoreaEast Asia & PacificLow incomeWorld
0.02.55.07.510199520002005201020152020North Korea3.44 tEast Asia & PacificLow incomeWorld
15 indicators

Environment: North Korea in detail

Latest reported value, world rank and rank within East Asia & Pacific; values around 2000, 2010, 2020; group and world columns are World Bank aggregates.

IndicatorLatestWorld rankIn region~2000~2010~202010-year changeRegionIncome groupWorldSince 2000
CO₂ per personCO₂ emissions per capita, tonnes2.50 t2024106/20319/373.12 t2.76 t2.64 t+53%since 20147.35 t0.30 t4.69 t
GHG per personGreenhouse gas emissions per person, t CO₂e3.44 t2024112/20318/374.22 t3.89 t3.64 t+27%since 20149.06 t1.43 t6.36 t
GHG emissionsTotal greenhouse gas emissions excl. land use, Mt CO₂e91.3 Mt202458/20312/3799.8 Mt97.1 Mt95.3 Mt+32%since 201421,426.8 Mt1,053.9 Mt53,206.4 Mt
CO₂ emissionsCO₂ emissions, total excl. land use, Mt66.2 Mt202450/20310/3773.8 Mt69.0 Mt69.0 Mt+59%since 201417,388.8 Mt224.0 Mt39,632.7 Mt
MethaneMethane emissions, Mt CO₂e20.1 Mt202471/20314/3722.8 Mt24.6 Mt22.1 Mt−16%since 20142,697.1 Mt619.9 Mt9,536.5 Mt
Renewable energyRenewable energy, % of final energy consumption14.7%2021125/21216/378.7%11.0%11.2%−0.1 ppsince 201114.8%74.6%19.7%
Renewable powerRenewable electricity, % of output63.1%202150/2063/3552.6%56.5%53.3%+0.2 ppsince 201125.9%59.1%27.8%
PM2.5 exposurePM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure, µg/m³21.8 µg/m³202375/2009/3325.8 µg/m³22.1 µg/m³22.4 µg/m³−11%since 201327.3 µg/m³31.3 µg/m³32.9 µg/m³
Forest coverForest area, % of land area64.1%202424/21411/3561.9%62.8%63.7%+0.9 ppsince 201427.3%19.9%31.1%
FarmlandAgricultural land, % of land area21.6%2024147/21017/3621.0%22.2%21.5%−0.3 ppsince 201446.8%42.1%36.9%
Arable landArable land, % of land area19.1%202457/2065/3419.1%19.9%19.1%−0.3 ppsince 20148.7%9.4%10.7%
Protected areasTerrestrial and marine protected areas, % of territory1.3%2025175/21325/36··1.3%±0.0 ppsince 201522.0%10.3%17.0%
Water withdrawalsFreshwater withdrawals, % of internal resources12.9%202276/1779/2012.8%12.9%12.9%±0.0 ppsince 201212.1%5.1%9.0%
Freshwater per personRenewable internal freshwater per person, m³2,545 m³202290/18319/232,831 m³2,681 m³2,563 m³−4.2%since 20124,306 m³3,260 m³5,393 m³
Cereal yieldCereal yield, kg per hectare3,610 kg/ha202479/17913/242,375 kg/ha3,424 kg/ha3,492 kg/ha−13%since 20145,430 kg/ha1,345 kg/ha4,229 kg/ha
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)“·” — no value reported within two years of that date. World rank counts countries with a recent value.

Better than ten years ago

Worse than ten years ago

Only indicators where higher or lower is clearly better are rated (for example, unemployment down is better, life expectancy up is better).

neighbours

North Korea and its neighbours

Countries sharing a land border with North Korea. Latest values since 2005; the highest in each row is marked.

IndicatorNorth KoreaChinaRussiaSouth Korea
CO₂ per person2.50 t20249.32 t202413.98 t202411.36 t2024
GHG per person3.44 t202411.03 t202417.93 t202412.91 t2024
GHG emissions91.3 Mt202415,536.1 Mt20242,575.7 Mt2024668.2 Mt2024
CO₂ emissions66.2 Mt202413,124.7 Mt20242,009.2 Mt2024588.0 Mt2024
Methane20.1 Mt20241,485.3 Mt2024416.9 Mt202444.7 Mt2024
Renewable energy14.7%202115.2%20213.5%20213.6%2021
Renewable power63.1%202128.4%202119.2%20216.7%2021
PM2.5 exposure21.8 µg/m³202332.0 µg/m³202311.6 µg/m³202321.9 µg/m³2023
Forest cover64.1%202424.0%202450.8%202464.4%2024
China: environmentRussia: environmentSouth Korea: environment
Environment in East Asia & Pacificall 37 economies rankedEnvironment: low-income countries25 economies rankedEnvironment: world leaderboardstop and bottom countriesNorth Korea: all key statisticscountry profile