Cumulative CO₂ emissions including land-use change, per square in North Korea
North Korea: Cumulative CO₂ emissions including land-use change, per square was 57,713 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
57,713 tonnes per square kilometre
Change on year
up 1.0%
World rank
37th
of 192 countries
All-time high
57,713 tonnes per square kilometre
in 2023
All-time low
8,530 tonnes per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Cumulative CO₂ emissions including land-use change, per square in North Korea, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in tonnes per square kilometre.
Analysis
In 2023, cumulative co₂ emissions including land-use change, per square in North Korea stood at 57,713 tonnes per square kilometre. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.0% on the previous year and up 10.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cumulative co₂ emissions including land-use change, per square in North Korea peaked at 57,713 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 8,530 tonnes per square kilometre, in 1961.
That places North Korea 37th out of 192 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Cumulative CO₂ emissions including land-use change, per square in North Korea, year by year
| Year | tonnes per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 8,530 tonnes per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 8,856 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.8% |
| 1963 | 9,200 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.9% |
| 1964 | 9,561 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.9% |
| 1965 | 9,995 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.5% |
| 1966 | 10,450 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.6% |
| 1967 | 10,938 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.7% |
| 1968 | 11,486 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.0% |
| 1969 | 12,089 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.3% |
| 1970 | 12,778 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.7% |
| 1971 | 13,724 tonnes per square kilometre | +7.4% |
| 1972 | 14,603 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.4% |
| 1973 | 15,499 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.1% |
| 1974 | 16,442 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.1% |
| 1975 | 17,421 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.0% |
| 1976 | 18,415 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.7% |
| 1977 | 19,447 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.6% |
| 1978 | 20,433 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.1% |
| 1979 | 21,537 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.4% |
| 1980 | 22,607 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.0% |
| 1981 | 23,665 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.7% |
| 1982 | 24,748 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.6% |
| 1983 | 25,895 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.6% |
| 1984 | 27,121 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.7% |
| 1985 | 28,410 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.8% |
| 1986 | 29,802 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.9% |
| 1987 | 31,344 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.2% |
| 1988 | 33,082 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.5% |
| 1989 | 34,909 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.5% |
| 1990 | 35,999 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 1991 | 37,028 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 1992 | 37,927 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 1993 | 38,896 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 1994 | 39,704 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1995 | 40,424 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1996 | 41,069 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 1997 | 41,696 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1998 | 42,293 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1999 | 42,936 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 2000 | 43,611 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 2001 | 44,301 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 44,967 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 2003 | 45,662 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 2004 | 46,432 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 2005 | 47,191 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 2006 | 47,950 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 2007 | 48,684 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 2008 | 49,442 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 2009 | 50,172 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 50,832 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 51,356 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 51,861 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 52,272 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 52,706 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 53,071 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2016 | 53,449 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 54,124 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 54,731 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 55,398 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 56,029 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 2021 | 56,557 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 57,114 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 57,713 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.0% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 57,713 tonnes per square kilometre is above the median for low income countries, which is 6,311 tonnes per square kilometre, 9.1× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 57,713 tonnes per square kilometre is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 19,423 tonnes per square kilometre, 3.0× the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 10,123 tonnes per square kilometre | 8,530 tonnes per square kilometre | 12,089 tonnes per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 17,030 tonnes per square kilometre | 12,778 tonnes per square kilometre | 21,537 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 28,158 tonnes per square kilometre | 22,607 tonnes per square kilometre | 34,909 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 39,797 tonnes per square kilometre | 35,999 tonnes per square kilometre | 42,936 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 46,841 tonnes per square kilometre | 43,611 tonnes per square kilometre | 50,172 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 52,980 tonnes per square kilometre | 50,832 tonnes per square kilometre | 55,398 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 56,853 tonnes per square kilometre | 56,029 tonnes per square kilometre | 57,713 tonnes per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
- 34 Malaysia 59,802 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 35 Slovenia 59,641 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 36 Liechtenstein 57,894 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 38 Cuba 55,602 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 39 Romania 51,307 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 40 Philippines 50,524 tonnes per square kilometre compare
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 cumulative co₂ emissions including land-use change, per square in North Korea?
- Cumulative co₂ emissions including land-use change, per square in North Korea was 57,713 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest cumulative co₂ emissions including land-use change, per square recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 57,713 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest cumulative co₂ emissions including land-use change, per square recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 8,530 tonnes per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does North Korea rank for cumulative co₂ emissions including land-use change, per square?
- North Korea ranks 37th out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
- Is cumulative co₂ emissions including land-use change, per square rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this North Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Cumulative CO₂ emissions including land-use change, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Cumulative CO₂ emissions including land-use change divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Cumulative CO₂ emissions including land-use change ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Cumulative CO₂ emissions including land-use change Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Cumulative CO₂ emissions including land-use change divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.