Carbon intensity of energy in North Korea
North Korea: Carbon intensity of energy was 323.31 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 2024. ▼ Falling
Carbon intensity of energy in North Korea, 1980–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour.
Analysis
In 2024, carbon intensity of energy in North Korea stood at 323.31 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour.
The figure is down 3.6% on the previous year and up 11.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, carbon intensity of energy in North Korea peaked at 828.46 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 1989 and was at its lowest, 190.32 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, in 1999.
That places North Korea 12th out of 204 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 45 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 527.59 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 390.3 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 828.46 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 1990s | 297.93 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 190.32 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 462.54 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2000s | 252.24 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 227.27 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 289.88 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2010s | 290.64 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 256.57 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 312.41 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2020s | 312.27 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 292.26 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 335.22 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 5 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
- 9 Gambia 348.91 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 10 Iraq 347.57 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 11 Kazakhstan 334.54 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 13 Gabon 314.4 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 14 South Africa 313.63 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 15 Suriname 303.34 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
More climate change data for North Korea
- Share co2 vs population 0.1917 (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 vs gdp 2.36 (2024)
- Cumulative co emissions 5.49 billion (2024)
- Co emissions per capita 2.36 (2024)
- Co2 per capita vs renewable electricity 2.36 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is carbon intensity of energy in North Korea?
- Carbon intensity of energy in North Korea was 323.31 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest carbon intensity of energy recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 828.46 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 1989.
- What is the lowest carbon intensity of energy recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 190.32 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 1999.
- How does North Korea rank for carbon intensity of energy?
- North Korea ranks 12th out of 204 countries with data for 2024.
- Is carbon intensity of energy rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this North Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Global Carbon Budget (2025) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Carbon intensity of energy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 45 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Fossil carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions per unit of total energy supply, measured in grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour.