Iraq vs North Korea: Cumulative CO₂ emissions
Iraq
5.35 billion tonnes
in 2024
North Korea
5.49 billion tonnes
in 2024
Iraq rank
41st
North Korea rank
39th
Cumulative CO₂ emissions over time
- Iraq
- North Korea
How they compare
North Korea currently reports 5.49 billion tonnes against 5.35 billion tonnes in Iraq, a difference of 141.92 million tonnes.
Across all 98 years both countries report, North Korea has been ahead every year.
Iraq ranks 41st and North Korea ranks 39th of 215 countries.
North Korea has averaged higher in every one of the 11 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iraq | North Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 455,557 tonnes | 15.24 million tonnes | 14.78 million tonnes | North Korea |
| 1930s | 13.21 million tonnes | 38.67 million tonnes | 25.46 million tonnes | North Korea |
| 1940s | 91.93 million tonnes | 136.44 million tonnes | 44.51 million tonnes | North Korea |
| 1950s | 146.66 million tonnes | 179.13 million tonnes | 32.47 million tonnes | North Korea |
| 1960s | 239.00 million tonnes | 420.78 million tonnes | 181.78 million tonnes | North Korea |
| 1970s | 499.64 million tonnes | 1.18 billion tonnes | 681.92 million tonnes | North Korea |
| 1980s | 915.55 million tonnes | 2.39 billion tonnes | 1.48 billion tonnes | North Korea |
| 1990s | 1.51 billion tonnes | 3.67 billion tonnes | 2.16 billion tonnes | North Korea |
| 2000s | 2.38 billion tonnes | 4.37 billion tonnes | 1.99 billion tonnes | North Korea |
| 2010s | 3.57 billion tonnes | 4.95 billion tonnes | 1.39 billion tonnes | North Korea |
| 2020s | 4.90 billion tonnes | 5.37 billion tonnes | 470.69 million tonnes | North Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher cumulative co₂ emissions, Iraq or North Korea?
- North Korea, at 5.49 billion tonnes against 5.35 billion tonnes in Iraq as of 2024.
- What is the difference in cumulative co₂ emissions between Iraq and North Korea?
- 141.92 million tonnes, with North Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iraq and North Korea?
- 98 years are reported by both, from 1927 to 2024.
- How do Iraq and North Korea rank globally for cumulative co₂ emissions?
- Iraq ranks 41st and North Korea ranks 39th of 215 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Cumulative CO₂ emissions. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Total cumulative emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂), excluding land-use change, since the first year of available data, measured in tonnes.