emissions of air pollutants in North Korea
North Korea: emissions of air pollutants was 2.27 million tonnes in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2022)
2.27 million tonnes
Change on year
down 0.9%
World rank
31st
of 220 countries
All-time high
19.55 million tonnes
in 1990
All-time low
1.32 million tonnes
in 1952
Years of data
273
1750–2022
emissions of air pollutants in North Korea, 1750–2022
Source: Hoesly et al. (2024) – Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
The most recent figure for emissions of air pollutants in North Korea is 2.27 million tonnes, measured in 2022.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.9% on the previous year and down 26.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, emissions of air pollutants in North Korea peaked at 19.55 million tonnes in 1990 and was at its lowest, 1.32 million tonnes, in 1952.
That places North Korea 31st out of 220 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
emissions of air pollutants in North Korea, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1750 | 2.41 million tonnes | — |
| 1751 | 2.41 million tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1752 | 2.42 million tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1753 | 2.42 million tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1754 | 2.42 million tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1755 | 2.42 million tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1756 | 2.42 million tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1757 | 2.42 million tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1758 | 2.42 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1759 | 2.42 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1760 | 2.42 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1761 | 2.43 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1762 | 2.43 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1763 | 2.43 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1764 | 2.43 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1765 | 2.43 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1766 | 2.43 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1767 | 2.43 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1768 | 2.43 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1769 | 2.43 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1770 | 2.44 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1771 | 2.44 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1772 | 2.44 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1773 | 2.44 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1774 | 2.44 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1775 | 2.44 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1776 | 2.44 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1777 | 2.44 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1778 | 2.44 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1779 | 2.44 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1780 | 2.45 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1781 | 2.45 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1782 | 2.45 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1783 | 2.45 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1784 | 2.45 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1785 | 2.45 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1786 | 2.45 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1787 | 2.45 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1788 | 2.45 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1789 | 2.45 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1790 | 2.45 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1791 | 2.45 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1792 | 2.45 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1793 | 2.46 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1794 | 2.46 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1795 | 2.46 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1796 | 2.46 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1797 | 2.46 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1798 | 2.46 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1799 | 2.46 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1800 | 2.46 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1801 | 2.46 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1802 | 2.46 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1803 | 2.46 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1804 | 2.46 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1805 | 2.46 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1806 | 2.46 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1807 | 2.46 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1808 | 2.46 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1809 | 2.46 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1810 | 2.46 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1811 | 2.46 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1812 | 2.46 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1813 | 2.46 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1814 | 2.47 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1815 | 2.47 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1816 | 2.47 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1817 | 2.47 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1818 | 2.47 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1819 | 2.47 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1820 | 2.47 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1821 | 2.47 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1822 | 2.47 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1823 | 2.47 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1824 | 2.47 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1825 | 2.47 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1826 | 2.47 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1827 | 2.47 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1828 | 2.47 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1829 | 2.47 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1830 | 2.47 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1831 | 2.47 million tonnes | -0.1% |
| 1832 | 2.47 million tonnes | -0.1% |
| 1833 | 2.46 million tonnes | -0.1% |
| 1834 | 2.46 million tonnes | -0.1% |
| 1835 | 2.46 million tonnes | -0.1% |
| 1836 | 2.46 million tonnes | -0.1% |
| 1837 | 2.46 million tonnes | -0.1% |
| 1838 | 2.45 million tonnes | -0.1% |
| 1839 | 2.45 million tonnes | -0.1% |
| 1840 | 2.45 million tonnes | -0.1% |
| 1841 | 2.45 million tonnes | -0.1% |
| 1842 | 2.44 million tonnes | -0.1% |
| 1843 | 2.44 million tonnes | -0.1% |
| 1844 | 2.44 million tonnes | -0.1% |
| 1845 | 2.44 million tonnes | -0.1% |
| 1846 | 2.43 million tonnes | -0.1% |
| 1847 | 2.43 million tonnes | -0.1% |
| 1848 | 2.43 million tonnes | -0.1% |
| 1849 | 2.43 million tonnes | -0.1% |
| 1850 | 2.42 million tonnes | -0.1% |
| 1851 | 2.42 million tonnes | -0.0% |
| 1852 | 2.42 million tonnes | -0.0% |
| 1853 | 2.42 million tonnes | -0.0% |
| 1854 | 2.42 million tonnes | -0.0% |
| 1855 | 2.42 million tonnes | -0.0% |
| 1856 | 2.42 million tonnes | -0.0% |
| 1857 | 2.42 million tonnes | -0.0% |
| 1858 | 2.42 million tonnes | -0.0% |
| 1859 | 2.42 million tonnes | -0.0% |
| 1860 | 2.42 million tonnes | -0.0% |
| 1861 | 2.42 million tonnes | -0.0% |
| 1862 | 2.42 million tonnes | -0.0% |
| 1863 | 2.42 million tonnes | -0.0% |
| 1864 | 2.42 million tonnes | -0.0% |
| 1865 | 2.42 million tonnes | -0.0% |
| 1866 | 2.42 million tonnes | -0.0% |
| 1867 | 2.42 million tonnes | -0.0% |
| 1868 | 2.42 million tonnes | -0.0% |
| 1869 | 2.42 million tonnes | -0.0% |
| 1870 | 2.42 million tonnes | -0.0% |
| 1871 | 2.43 million tonnes | +0.3% |
| 1872 | 2.43 million tonnes | +0.3% |
| 1873 | 2.44 million tonnes | +0.3% |
| 1874 | 2.45 million tonnes | +0.3% |
| 1875 | 2.46 million tonnes | +0.3% |
| 1876 | 2.46 million tonnes | +0.3% |
| 1877 | 2.47 million tonnes | +0.3% |
| 1878 | 2.48 million tonnes | +0.3% |
| 1879 | 2.49 million tonnes | +0.3% |
| 1880 | 2.49 million tonnes | +0.3% |
| 1881 | 2.49 million tonnes | -0.2% |
| 1882 | 2.49 million tonnes | -0.2% |
| 1883 | 2.48 million tonnes | -0.2% |
| 1884 | 2.48 million tonnes | -0.2% |
| 1885 | 2.48 million tonnes | -0.2% |
| 1886 | 2.47 million tonnes | -0.2% |
| 1887 | 2.47 million tonnes | -0.2% |
| 1888 | 2.46 million tonnes | -0.2% |
| 1889 | 2.46 million tonnes | -0.2% |
| 1890 | 2.46 million tonnes | -0.2% |
| 1891 | 2.45 million tonnes | -0.2% |
| 1892 | 2.45 million tonnes | -0.2% |
| 1893 | 2.44 million tonnes | -0.2% |
| 1894 | 2.44 million tonnes | -0.2% |
| 1895 | 2.44 million tonnes | -0.2% |
| 1896 | 2.43 million tonnes | -0.2% |
| 1897 | 2.43 million tonnes | -0.2% |
| 1898 | 2.42 million tonnes | -0.2% |
| 1899 | 2.42 million tonnes | -0.2% |
| 1900 | 2.41 million tonnes | -0.2% |
| 1901 | 2.41 million tonnes | -0.1% |
| 1902 | 2.41 million tonnes | -0.1% |
| 1903 | 2.41 million tonnes | -0.1% |
| 1904 | 2.40 million tonnes | -0.1% |
| 1905 | 2.40 million tonnes | -0.1% |
| 1906 | 2.40 million tonnes | -0.1% |
| 1907 | 2.39 million tonnes | -0.1% |
| 1908 | 2.39 million tonnes | -0.1% |
| 1909 | 2.39 million tonnes | -0.1% |
| 1910 | 2.39 million tonnes | -0.1% |
| 1911 | 2.37 million tonnes | -0.8% |
| 1912 | 2.35 million tonnes | -0.7% |
| 1913 | 2.34 million tonnes | -0.6% |
| 1914 | 2.35 million tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1915 | 2.35 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1916 | 2.35 million tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1917 | 2.35 million tonnes | -0.0% |
| 1918 | 2.36 million tonnes | +0.6% |
| 1919 | 2.37 million tonnes | +0.4% |
| 1920 | 2.38 million tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1921 | 2.42 million tonnes | +1.6% |
| 1922 | 2.46 million tonnes | +1.6% |
| 1923 | 2.50 million tonnes | +1.7% |
| 1924 | 2.54 million tonnes | +1.7% |
| 1925 | 2.59 million tonnes | +1.9% |
| 1926 | 2.63 million tonnes | +1.3% |
| 1927 | 2.66 million tonnes | +1.2% |
| 1928 | 2.70 million tonnes | +1.4% |
| 1929 | 2.74 million tonnes | +1.5% |
| 1930 | 2.77 million tonnes | +1.1% |
| 1931 | 2.79 million tonnes | +0.9% |
| 1932 | 2.83 million tonnes | +1.3% |
| 1933 | 2.86 million tonnes | +1.3% |
| 1934 | 2.91 million tonnes | +1.8% |
| 1935 | 2.96 million tonnes | +1.5% |
| 1936 | 3.00 million tonnes | +1.3% |
| 1937 | 3.02 million tonnes | +0.9% |
| 1938 | 3.11 million tonnes | +2.9% |
| 1939 | 3.19 million tonnes | +2.6% |
| 1940 | 3.32 million tonnes | +4.2% |
| 1941 | 3.02 million tonnes | -9.1% |
| 1942 | 2.79 million tonnes | -7.6% |
| 1943 | 2.53 million tonnes | -9.2% |
| 1944 | 2.36 million tonnes | -6.9% |
| 1945 | 1.80 million tonnes | -23.9% |
| 1946 | 1.72 million tonnes | -4.4% |
| 1947 | 1.59 million tonnes | -7.3% |
| 1948 | 1.53 million tonnes | -3.9% |
| 1949 | 1.43 million tonnes | -6.2% |
| 1950 | 1.83 million tonnes | +27.5% |
| 1951 | 1.71 million tonnes | -6.6% |
| 1952 | 1.32 million tonnes | -23.0% |
| 1953 | 1.34 million tonnes | +2.1% |
| 1954 | 1.54 million tonnes | +14.6% |
| 1955 | 1.67 million tonnes | +8.3% |
| 1956 | 1.83 million tonnes | +9.8% |
| 1957 | 2.06 million tonnes | +12.3% |
| 1958 | 2.53 million tonnes | +22.9% |
| 1959 | 2.86 million tonnes | +13.3% |
| 1960 | 2.87 million tonnes | +0.4% |
| 1961 | 3.56 million tonnes | +23.9% |
| 1962 | 4.39 million tonnes | +23.4% |
| 1963 | 4.65 million tonnes | +5.9% |
| 1964 | 4.51 million tonnes | -3.0% |
| 1965 | 4.73 million tonnes | +4.9% |
| 1966 | 5.01 million tonnes | +6.1% |
| 1967 | 5.68 million tonnes | +13.2% |
| 1968 | 7.66 million tonnes | +34.8% |
| 1969 | 8.33 million tonnes | +8.8% |
| 1970 | 9.37 million tonnes | +12.5% |
| 1971 | 8.71 million tonnes | -7.1% |
| 1972 | 9.23 million tonnes | +6.0% |
| 1973 | 9.80 million tonnes | +6.2% |
| 1974 | 11.51 million tonnes | +17.5% |
| 1975 | 12.38 million tonnes | +7.5% |
| 1976 | 12.30 million tonnes | -0.6% |
| 1977 | 12.94 million tonnes | +5.2% |
| 1978 | 16.12 million tonnes | +24.6% |
| 1979 | 19.29 million tonnes | +19.7% |
| 1980 | 19.15 million tonnes | -0.7% |
| 1981 | 18.55 million tonnes | -3.1% |
| 1982 | 18.60 million tonnes | +0.3% |
| 1983 | 18.62 million tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1984 | 18.66 million tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1985 | 18.61 million tonnes | -0.3% |
| 1986 | 17.89 million tonnes | -3.8% |
| 1987 | 18.14 million tonnes | +1.4% |
| 1988 | 18.72 million tonnes | +3.2% |
| 1989 | 19.06 million tonnes | +1.8% |
| 1990 | 19.55 million tonnes | +2.6% |
| 1991 | 15.88 million tonnes | -18.8% |
| 1992 | 13.21 million tonnes | -16.8% |
| 1993 | 11.74 million tonnes | -11.1% |
| 1994 | 8.68 million tonnes | -26.1% |
| 1995 | 8.92 million tonnes | +2.8% |
| 1996 | 7.14 million tonnes | -20.0% |
| 1997 | 5.02 million tonnes | -29.6% |
| 1998 | 5.63 million tonnes | +12.1% |
| 1999 | 4.36 million tonnes | -22.6% |
| 2000 | 5.25 million tonnes | +20.6% |
| 2001 | 5.35 million tonnes | +1.9% |
| 2002 | 5.20 million tonnes | -2.8% |
| 2003 | 5.28 million tonnes | +1.4% |
| 2004 | 5.34 million tonnes | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 5.57 million tonnes | +4.1% |
| 2006 | 5.10 million tonnes | -8.3% |
| 2007 | 4.62 million tonnes | -9.5% |
| 2008 | 4.83 million tonnes | +4.6% |
| 2009 | 4.47 million tonnes | -7.5% |
| 2010 | 4.18 million tonnes | -6.4% |
| 2011 | 3.25 million tonnes | -22.2% |
| 2012 | 3.09 million tonnes | -5.1% |
| 2013 | 2.54 million tonnes | -17.9% |
| 2014 | 2.54 million tonnes | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 2.06 million tonnes | -18.8% |
| 2016 | 2.05 million tonnes | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 3.11 million tonnes | +51.7% |
| 2018 | 2.72 million tonnes | -12.7% |
| 2019 | 2.83 million tonnes | +4.2% |
| 2020 | 2.62 million tonnes | -7.5% |
| 2021 | 2.29 million tonnes | -12.6% |
| 2022 | 2.27 million tonnes | -0.9% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 2.27 million tonnes is above the median for low income countries, which is 576,398 tonnes, 3.9× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 2.27 million tonnes is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 179,591 tonnes, 12.6× the median. (34 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where emissions of air pollutants in North Korea changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | +51.7% | 2.05 million tonnes | 3.11 million tonnes |
| 1968 | +34.8% | 5.68 million tonnes | 7.66 million tonnes |
| 1997 | -29.6% | 7.14 million tonnes | 5.02 million tonnes |
| 1950 | +27.5% | 1.43 million tonnes | 1.83 million tonnes |
| 1994 | -26.1% | 11.74 million tonnes | 8.68 million tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1750s | 2.42 million tonnes | 2.41 million tonnes | 2.42 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1760s | 2.43 million tonnes | 2.42 million tonnes | 2.43 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1770s | 2.44 million tonnes | 2.44 million tonnes | 2.44 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1780s | 2.45 million tonnes | 2.45 million tonnes | 2.45 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1790s | 2.46 million tonnes | 2.45 million tonnes | 2.46 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1800s | 2.46 million tonnes | 2.46 million tonnes | 2.46 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1810s | 2.47 million tonnes | 2.46 million tonnes | 2.47 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1820s | 2.47 million tonnes | 2.47 million tonnes | 2.47 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1830s | 2.46 million tonnes | 2.45 million tonnes | 2.47 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1840s | 2.44 million tonnes | 2.43 million tonnes | 2.45 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1850s | 2.42 million tonnes | 2.42 million tonnes | 2.42 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1860s | 2.42 million tonnes | 2.42 million tonnes | 2.42 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1870s | 2.45 million tonnes | 2.42 million tonnes | 2.49 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1880s | 2.48 million tonnes | 2.46 million tonnes | 2.49 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1890s | 2.44 million tonnes | 2.42 million tonnes | 2.46 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1900s | 2.40 million tonnes | 2.39 million tonnes | 2.41 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1910s | 2.36 million tonnes | 2.34 million tonnes | 2.39 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1920s | 2.56 million tonnes | 2.38 million tonnes | 2.74 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1930s | 2.94 million tonnes | 2.77 million tonnes | 3.19 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1940s | 2.21 million tonnes | 1.43 million tonnes | 3.32 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1950s | 1.87 million tonnes | 1.32 million tonnes | 2.86 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1960s | 5.14 million tonnes | 2.87 million tonnes | 8.33 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1970s | 12.16 million tonnes | 8.71 million tonnes | 19.29 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 18.60 million tonnes | 17.89 million tonnes | 19.15 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 10.01 million tonnes | 4.36 million tonnes | 19.55 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.10 million tonnes | 4.47 million tonnes | 5.57 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.84 million tonnes | 2.05 million tonnes | 4.18 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.39 million tonnes | 2.27 million tonnes | 2.62 million tonnes | 3 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
More climate change data for North Korea
- Spring temperature anomalies 2.29 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.3103 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month -2.22 °C (2026)
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 0.2% (2100)
- Population, total, annual growth rate 0.2725 % change on previous year (2025)
- Urban population, annual growth rate 0.7919 % change on previous year (2025)
- Urban population, per capita 0.6419 units per person (2025)
- Precipitation anomalies, annual growth rate 27.14 % change on previous year (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 2 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.9637 °C (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is emissions of air pollutants in North Korea?
- Emissions of air pollutants in North Korea was 2.27 million tonnes in 2022, according to Hoesly et al. (2024) – Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest emissions of air pollutants recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 19.55 million tonnes in 1990.
- What is the lowest emissions of air pollutants recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.32 million tonnes in 1952.
- How does North Korea rank for emissions of air pollutants?
- North Korea ranks 31st out of 220 countries with data for 2022.
- Is emissions of air pollutants rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 26.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this North Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Hoesly et al. (2024) – Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of emissions of air pollutants. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 273 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a pollutant produced from the incomplete combustion of carbon-based fuels such as oil, gas, wood, and coal. CO is a harmful gas that contributes to both outdoor and indoor air pollution.