emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre in North Korea
North Korea: emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre was 18.83 tonnes per square kilometre in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2022)
18.83 tonnes per square kilometre
Change on year
down 0.9%
World rank
21st
of 207 countries
All-time high
162.4 tonnes per square kilometre
in 1990
All-time low
17.04 tonnes per square kilometre
in 2016
Years of data
62
1961–2022
emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre in North Korea, 1961–2022
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in tonnes per square kilometre.
Analysis
North Korea recorded 18.83 tonnes per square kilometre for emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre in 2022.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.9% on the previous year and down 26.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre in North Korea peaked at 162.4 tonnes per square kilometre in 1990 and was at its lowest, 17.04 tonnes per square kilometre, in 2016.
That places North Korea 21st out of 207 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre in North Korea, year by year
| Year | tonnes per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 29.55 tonnes per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 36.45 tonnes per square kilometre | +23.4% |
| 1963 | 38.59 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.9% |
| 1964 | 37.42 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.0% |
| 1965 | 39.26 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.9% |
| 1966 | 41.65 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.1% |
| 1967 | 47.16 tonnes per square kilometre | +13.2% |
| 1968 | 63.59 tonnes per square kilometre | +34.8% |
| 1969 | 69.17 tonnes per square kilometre | +8.8% |
| 1970 | 77.8 tonnes per square kilometre | +12.5% |
| 1971 | 72.31 tonnes per square kilometre | -7.1% |
| 1972 | 76.62 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.0% |
| 1973 | 81.4 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.2% |
| 1974 | 95.62 tonnes per square kilometre | +17.5% |
| 1975 | 102.79 tonnes per square kilometre | +7.5% |
| 1976 | 102.16 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.6% |
| 1977 | 107.43 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.2% |
| 1978 | 133.84 tonnes per square kilometre | +24.6% |
| 1979 | 160.17 tonnes per square kilometre | +19.7% |
| 1980 | 159.03 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 1981 | 154.05 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.1% |
| 1982 | 154.46 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 1983 | 154.63 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 1984 | 155 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1985 | 154.51 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 1986 | 148.6 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.8% |
| 1987 | 150.63 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1988 | 155.5 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.2% |
| 1989 | 158.31 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1990 | 162.4 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 1991 | 131.88 tonnes per square kilometre | -18.8% |
| 1992 | 109.68 tonnes per square kilometre | -16.8% |
| 1993 | 97.51 tonnes per square kilometre | -11.1% |
| 1994 | 72.06 tonnes per square kilometre | -26.1% |
| 1995 | 74.06 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 1996 | 59.27 tonnes per square kilometre | -20.0% |
| 1997 | 41.71 tonnes per square kilometre | -29.6% |
| 1998 | 46.76 tonnes per square kilometre | +12.1% |
| 1999 | 36.19 tonnes per square kilometre | -22.6% |
| 2000 | 43.63 tonnes per square kilometre | +20.6% |
| 2001 | 44.47 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 2002 | 43.21 tonnes per square kilometre | -2.8% |
| 2003 | 43.83 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 2004 | 44.38 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 46.22 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.1% |
| 2006 | 42.39 tonnes per square kilometre | -8.3% |
| 2007 | 38.35 tonnes per square kilometre | -9.5% |
| 2008 | 40.1 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.5% |
| 2009 | 37.09 tonnes per square kilometre | -7.5% |
| 2010 | 34.72 tonnes per square kilometre | -6.4% |
| 2011 | 27.01 tonnes per square kilometre | -22.2% |
| 2012 | 25.64 tonnes per square kilometre | -5.1% |
| 2013 | 21.06 tonnes per square kilometre | -17.9% |
| 2014 | 21.12 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 17.14 tonnes per square kilometre | -18.8% |
| 2016 | 17.04 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 25.86 tonnes per square kilometre | +51.7% |
| 2018 | 22.58 tonnes per square kilometre | -12.7% |
| 2019 | 23.52 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.2% |
| 2020 | 21.75 tonnes per square kilometre | -7.5% |
| 2021 | 19 tonnes per square kilometre | -12.6% |
| 2022 | 18.83 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.9% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 18.83 tonnes per square kilometre is above the median for low income countries, which is 2.58 tonnes per square kilometre, 7.3× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 18.83 tonnes per square kilometre is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3.29 tonnes per square kilometre, 5.7× the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 44.76 tonnes per square kilometre | 29.55 tonnes per square kilometre | 69.17 tonnes per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 101.01 tonnes per square kilometre | 72.31 tonnes per square kilometre | 160.17 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 154.47 tonnes per square kilometre | 148.6 tonnes per square kilometre | 159.03 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 83.15 tonnes per square kilometre | 36.19 tonnes per square kilometre | 162.4 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 42.37 tonnes per square kilometre | 37.09 tonnes per square kilometre | 46.22 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 23.57 tonnes per square kilometre | 17.04 tonnes per square kilometre | 34.72 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 19.86 tonnes per square kilometre | 18.83 tonnes per square kilometre | 21.75 tonnes per square kilometre | 3 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
- 18 Cayman Islands 23.47 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 19 Comoros 20.09 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 20 Vietnam 19.05 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 22 Mauritius 18.53 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 23 Nepal 18.16 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 24 Pakistan 17.74 tonnes per square kilometre compare
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 square kilometre in North Korea?
- Emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre in North Korea was 18.83 tonnes per square kilometre in 2022, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 162.4 tonnes per square kilometre in 1990.
- What is the lowest emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.04 tonnes per square kilometre in 2016.
- How does North Korea rank for emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre?
- North Korea ranks 21st out of 207 countries with data for 2022.
- Is emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 26.6%. 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 square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 62 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 Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
emissions of air pollutants ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- emissions of air pollutants Hoesly et al. (2024) – Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) – 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
emissions of air pollutants 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.