emissions of air pollutants, per capita in North Korea
North Korea: emissions of air pollutants, per capita was 0.0861 tonnes per person in 2022. ◆ Volatile
emissions of air pollutants, per capita in North Korea, 1960–2022
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in tonnes per person.
Analysis
In 2022, emissions of air pollutants, per capita in North Korea stood at 0.0861 tonnes per person.
That represents a change of down 1.3% on the previous year and down 29.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, emissions of air pollutants, per capita in North Korea peaked at 1.07 tonnes per person in 1979 and was at its lowest, 0.0799 tonnes per person, in 2016.
That places North Korea 30th out of 207 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, per capita in North Korea, year by year
| Year | tonnes per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.245 tonnes per person | — |
| 1961 | 0.2967 tonnes per person | +21.1% |
| 1962 | 0.3579 tonnes per person | +20.6% |
| 1963 | 0.3697 tonnes per person | +3.3% |
| 1964 | 0.3496 tonnes per person | -5.4% |
| 1965 | 0.3576 tonnes per person | +2.3% |
| 1966 | 0.3696 tonnes per person | +3.4% |
| 1967 | 0.4068 tonnes per person | +10.1% |
| 1968 | 0.533 tonnes per person | +31.0% |
| 1969 | 0.564 tonnes per person | +5.8% |
| 1970 | 0.6174 tonnes per person | +9.5% |
| 1971 | 0.5591 tonnes per person | -9.4% |
| 1972 | 0.5775 tonnes per person | +3.3% |
| 1973 | 0.5994 tonnes per person | +3.8% |
| 1974 | 0.6906 tonnes per person | +15.2% |
| 1975 | 0.7293 tonnes per person | +5.6% |
| 1976 | 0.7134 tonnes per person | -2.2% |
| 1977 | 0.7395 tonnes per person | +3.7% |
| 1978 | 0.9087 tonnes per person | +22.9% |
| 1979 | 1.07 tonnes per person | +18.0% |
| 1980 | 1.05 tonnes per person | -2.1% |
| 1981 | 1 tonnes per person | -4.5% |
| 1982 | 0.9905 tonnes per person | -1.2% |
| 1983 | 0.9772 tonnes per person | -1.3% |
| 1984 | 0.9653 tonnes per person | -1.2% |
| 1985 | 0.9483 tonnes per person | -1.8% |
| 1986 | 0.8986 tonnes per person | -5.2% |
| 1987 | 0.8977 tonnes per person | -0.1% |
| 1988 | 0.9132 tonnes per person | +1.7% |
| 1989 | 0.9163 tonnes per person | +0.3% |
| 1990 | 0.9262 tonnes per person | +1.1% |
| 1991 | 0.7411 tonnes per person | -20.0% |
| 1992 | 0.6072 tonnes per person | -18.1% |
| 1993 | 0.5319 tonnes per person | -12.4% |
| 1994 | 0.3875 tonnes per person | -27.2% |
| 1995 | 0.3934 tonnes per person | +1.5% |
| 1996 | 0.3117 tonnes per person | -20.8% |
| 1997 | 0.2173 tonnes per person | -30.3% |
| 1998 | 0.2415 tonnes per person | +11.2% |
| 1999 | 0.1854 tonnes per person | -23.2% |
| 2000 | 0.222 tonnes per person | +19.7% |
| 2001 | 0.2248 tonnes per person | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 0.2173 tonnes per person | -3.3% |
| 2003 | 0.2191 tonnes per person | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 0.2203 tonnes per person | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 0.2281 tonnes per person | +3.5% |
| 2006 | 0.2081 tonnes per person | -8.8% |
| 2007 | 0.1874 tonnes per person | -10.0% |
| 2008 | 0.195 tonnes per person | +4.1% |
| 2009 | 0.1795 tonnes per person | -7.9% |
| 2010 | 0.1673 tonnes per person | -6.8% |
| 2011 | 0.1296 tonnes per person | -22.6% |
| 2012 | 0.1224 tonnes per person | -5.5% |
| 2013 | 0.1001 tonnes per person | -18.3% |
| 2014 | 0.0999 tonnes per person | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 0.0807 tonnes per person | -19.2% |
| 2016 | 0.0799 tonnes per person | -1.0% |
| 2017 | 0.1206 tonnes per person | +51.0% |
| 2018 | 0.1048 tonnes per person | -13.1% |
| 2019 | 0.1088 tonnes per person | +3.8% |
| 2020 | 0.1002 tonnes per person | -7.9% |
| 2021 | 0.0872 tonnes per person | -13.0% |
| 2022 | 0.0861 tonnes per person | -1.3% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 0.0861 tonnes per person is above the median for low income countries, which is 0.0464 tonnes per person, 1.9× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 0.0861 tonnes per person is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.0278 tonnes per person, 3.1× the median. (34 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where emissions of air pollutants, per capita 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 | +51.0% | 0.0799 tonnes per person | 0.1206 tonnes per person |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.385 tonnes per person | 0.245 tonnes per person | 0.564 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.7207 tonnes per person | 0.5591 tonnes per person | 1.07 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.956 tonnes per person | 0.8977 tonnes per person | 1.05 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.4543 tonnes per person | 0.1854 tonnes per person | 0.9262 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.2102 tonnes per person | 0.1795 tonnes per person | 0.2281 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.1114 tonnes per person | 0.0799 tonnes per person | 0.1673 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.0912 tonnes per person | 0.0861 tonnes per person | 0.1002 tonnes per person | 3 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
More climate change data for North Korea
- Spring temperature anomalies 2.29 °C (2026)
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 0.2% (2100)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.3103 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month -2.22 °C (2026)
- Annual precipitation 1,237 millimeters (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 2 °C (2025)
- Urban population, annual growth rate 0.7919 % change on previous year (2025)
- Precipitation anomalies 127.56 millimeters (2025)
- Urban population, per capita 0.6419 units per person (2025)
- Precipitation anomalies, annual growth rate 27.14 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is emissions of air pollutants, per capita in North Korea?
- Emissions of air pollutants, per capita in North Korea was 0.0861 tonnes per person in 2022, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest emissions of air pollutants, per capita recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 1.07 tonnes per person in 1979.
- What is the lowest emissions of air pollutants, per capita recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0799 tonnes per person in 2016.
- How does North Korea rank for emissions of air pollutants, per capita?
- North Korea ranks 30th out of 207 countries with data for 2022.
- Is emissions of air pollutants, per capita rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 29.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this North Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of emissions of air pollutants, per capita. 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
emissions of air pollutants divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
emissions of air pollutants ÷ Population, total
Computed from
- emissions of air pollutants Hoesly et al. (2024) – Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) – with major processing by Our World in Data
- Population, total World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN)
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
emissions of air pollutants divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.