Year-on-year change in CO₂ emissions in North Korea
North Korea: Year-on-year change in CO₂ emissions was 525,276 tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Year-on-year change in CO₂ emissions in North Korea, 1910–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
The most recent figure for year-on-year change in co₂ emissions in North Korea is 525,276 tonnes, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 90.8% on the previous year and down 85.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, year-on-year change in co₂ emissions in North Korea peaked at 35.47 million tonnes in 2017 and was at its lowest, -90.87 million tonnes, in 1990.
That places North Korea 50th out of 215 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 52,067 tonnes | -97,192 tonnes | 138,846 tonnes | 8 |
| 1920s | 179,806 tonnes | 17,355 tonnes | 597,039 tonnes | 10 |
| 1930s | 886,075 tonnes | -135,375 tonnes | 2.62 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1940s | -943,696 tonnes | -18.12 million tonnes | 3.21 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1950s | 1.81 million tonnes | -1.00 million tonnes | 4.34 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1960s | 4.42 million tonnes | 2.14 million tonnes | 8.60 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1970s | 4.62 million tonnes | -17.95 million tonnes | 33.98 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 9.90 million tonnes | 316,416 tonnes | 23.61 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | -14.51 million tonnes | -90.87 million tonnes | 5.39 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 351,663 tonnes | -12.69 million tonnes | 6.85 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 185,204 tonnes | -17.49 million tonnes | 35.47 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | -1.39 million tonnes | -11.61 million tonnes | 5.74 million tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
More climate change data for North Korea
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 0.2% (2100)
- Population growth 0.3% (2025)
- Population, total 26.57 million (2025)
- Urban population growth 0.8% (2025)
- Urban population 17.06 million (2025)
- Urban population 64.2% (2025)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. GDP per capita 2.36 tonnes per person (2024)
- Cumulative CO₂ emissions 5.49 billion tonnes (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita 2.36 tonnes per person (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables 2.36 tonnes per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is year-on-year change in co₂ emissions in North Korea?
- Year-on-year change in co₂ emissions in North Korea was 525,276 tonnes in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest year-on-year change in co₂ emissions recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 35.47 million tonnes in 2017.
- What is the lowest year-on-year change in co₂ emissions recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was -90.87 million tonnes in 1990.
- How does North Korea rank for year-on-year change in co₂ emissions?
- North Korea ranks 50th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is year-on-year change in co₂ emissions rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 85.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this North Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Year-on-year change in CO₂ emissions. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 113 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual growth in total emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂), excluding land-use change, measured in tonnes.