China vs North Korea: Per capita CO₂ emissions by sector
China
302.51 kilograms per person
in 2023
North Korea
256.64 kilograms per person
in 2023
China rank
61st
North Korea rank
64th
Per capita CO₂ emissions by sector over time
- China
- North Korea
How they compare
China currently reports 302.51 kilograms per person against 256.64 kilograms per person in North Korea, a difference of 45.87 kilograms per person.
That makes China's figure about 1.2 times North Korea's.
Across all 34 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 61st and North Korea ranks 64th of 187 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | North Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 287.64 kilograms per person | 13.2 kilograms per person | 274.44 kilograms per person | China |
| 2000s | 261.24 kilograms per person | 4.41 kilograms per person | 256.83 kilograms per person | China |
| 2010s | 345.05 kilograms per person | 89.17 kilograms per person | 255.88 kilograms per person | China |
| 2020s | 308.92 kilograms per person | 251.09 kilograms per person | 57.83 kilograms per person | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher per capita co₂ emissions by sector, China or North Korea?
- China, at 302.51 kilograms per person against 256.64 kilograms per person in North Korea as of 2023.
- What is the difference in per capita co₂ emissions by sector between China and North Korea?
- 45.87 kilograms per person, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and North Korea?
- 34 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.
- How do China and North Korea rank globally for per capita co₂ emissions by sector?
- China ranks 61st and North Korea ranks 64th of 187 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Climate Watch (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Per capita CO₂ emissions by sector. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Emissions are measured in kilograms per person.