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
Latest (2024)
323.31 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
Change on year
down 3.6%
World rank
12th
of 204 countries
All-time high
828.46 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
in 1989
All-time low
190.32 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
in 1999
Years of data
45
1980–2024
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.
Carbon intensity of energy in North Korea, year by year
| Year | grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 414.75 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | — |
| 1981 | 399.76 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -3.6% |
| 1982 | 390.3 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.4% |
| 1983 | 399.24 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +2.3% |
| 1984 | 417.45 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +4.6% |
| 1985 | 538.19 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +28.9% |
| 1986 | 582.58 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +8.2% |
| 1987 | 666.99 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +14.5% |
| 1988 | 638.13 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -4.3% |
| 1989 | 828.46 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +29.8% |
| 1990 | 462.54 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -44.2% |
| 1991 | 441.23 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -4.6% |
| 1992 | 376.17 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -14.7% |
| 1993 | 316.39 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -15.9% |
| 1994 | 297.69 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -5.9% |
| 1995 | 240.31 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -19.3% |
| 1996 | 217.76 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -9.4% |
| 1997 | 213.8 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.8% |
| 1998 | 223.07 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +4.3% |
| 1999 | 190.32 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -14.7% |
| 2000 | 227.27 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +19.4% |
| 2001 | 241.92 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +6.4% |
| 2002 | 238.01 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.6% |
| 2003 | 245.31 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +3.1% |
| 2004 | 241.31 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.6% |
| 2005 | 255.63 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +5.9% |
| 2006 | 270.88 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +6.0% |
| 2007 | 253.37 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -6.5% |
| 2008 | 258.81 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +2.1% |
| 2009 | 289.88 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +12.0% |
| 2010 | 296.7 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +2.4% |
| 2011 | 304.16 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +2.5% |
| 2012 | 312.41 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +2.7% |
| 2013 | 258.8 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -17.2% |
| 2014 | 290.38 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +12.2% |
| 2015 | 256.57 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -11.6% |
| 2016 | 276.23 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +7.7% |
| 2017 | 305.68 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +10.7% |
| 2018 | 301.68 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.3% |
| 2019 | 303.77 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 301.12 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.9% |
| 2021 | 292.26 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.9% |
| 2022 | 309.44 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +5.9% |
| 2023 | 335.22 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +8.3% |
| 2024 | 323.31 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -3.6% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 323.31 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour is above the median for low income countries, which is 234.44 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, 1.4× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 323.31 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 214.52 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, 1.5× the median. (31 countries reporting)
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)
- Co2 gdp pop growth, annual growth rate -10.68 % change on previous year (2025)
- Precipitation anomalies, annual growth rate 27.14 % change on previous year (2025)
- Urban population, per capita 0.6419 units per person (2025)
- Urban population 64.2% (2025)
- Urban population 17.06 million (2025)
- Urban population growth 0.8% (2025)
- Population growth 0.3% (2025)
- Population, total 26.57 million (2025)
- Population, total, annual growth rate 0.2725 % change on previous year (2025)
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.