Methane emissions in North Korea
North Korea: Methane emissions was 18.97 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
18.97 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
Change on year
down 5.8%
World rank
77th
of 199 countries
All-time high
30.00 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 1985
All-time low
6.24 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 1953
Years of data
175
1850–2024
Methane emissions in North Korea, 1850–2024
Source: Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes of CO₂ equivalents.
Analysis
North Korea recorded 18.97 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents for methane emissions in 2024.
That represents a change of down 5.8% on the previous year and down 22.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, methane emissions in North Korea peaked at 30.00 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 1985 and was at its lowest, 6.24 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, in 1953.
North Korea ranks 77th of 199 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 175 years of available data.
Methane emissions in North Korea, year by year
| Year | tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 10.78 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | — |
| 1851 | 10.78 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.0% |
| 1852 | 10.78 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.0% |
| 1853 | 10.79 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.0% |
| 1854 | 10.79 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.0% |
| 1855 | 10.80 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.0% |
| 1856 | 10.80 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.0% |
| 1857 | 10.80 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.0% |
| 1858 | 10.81 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.0% |
| 1859 | 10.81 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.0% |
| 1860 | 10.82 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.0% |
| 1861 | 10.82 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.0% |
| 1862 | 10.82 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.0% |
| 1863 | 10.83 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.0% |
| 1864 | 10.83 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.0% |
| 1865 | 10.83 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.0% |
| 1866 | 10.84 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.0% |
| 1867 | 10.84 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.0% |
| 1868 | 10.84 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.0% |
| 1869 | 10.85 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.0% |
| 1870 | 10.85 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.0% |
| 1871 | 10.87 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.2% |
| 1872 | 10.90 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.2% |
| 1873 | 10.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.2% |
| 1874 | 10.94 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.2% |
| 1875 | 10.97 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.2% |
| 1876 | 10.99 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.2% |
| 1877 | 11.01 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.2% |
| 1878 | 11.04 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.2% |
| 1879 | 11.06 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.2% |
| 1880 | 11.08 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.2% |
| 1881 | 11.08 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.1% |
| 1882 | 11.07 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.1% |
| 1883 | 11.06 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.1% |
| 1884 | 11.05 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.1% |
| 1885 | 11.04 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.1% |
| 1886 | 11.03 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.1% |
| 1887 | 11.02 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.1% |
| 1888 | 11.01 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.1% |
| 1889 | 11.00 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.1% |
| 1890 | 10.99 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.1% |
| 1891 | 10.98 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.1% |
| 1892 | 10.97 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.1% |
| 1893 | 10.96 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.1% |
| 1894 | 10.95 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.1% |
| 1895 | 10.94 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.1% |
| 1896 | 10.93 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.1% |
| 1897 | 10.93 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.1% |
| 1898 | 10.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.1% |
| 1899 | 10.91 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.1% |
| 1900 | 10.90 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.1% |
| 1901 | 10.89 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.0% |
| 1902 | 10.89 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.0% |
| 1903 | 10.89 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.0% |
| 1904 | 10.89 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.0% |
| 1905 | 10.89 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.0% |
| 1906 | 10.88 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.0% |
| 1907 | 10.88 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.0% |
| 1908 | 10.88 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.0% |
| 1909 | 10.88 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.0% |
| 1910 | 10.88 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.0% |
| 1911 | 10.89 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.1% |
| 1912 | 10.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.2% |
| 1913 | 10.94 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.3% |
| 1914 | 11.02 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.7% |
| 1915 | 11.08 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.6% |
| 1916 | 11.16 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.7% |
| 1917 | 11.24 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.7% |
| 1918 | 11.33 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.8% |
| 1919 | 11.42 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.8% |
| 1920 | 11.51 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.8% |
| 1921 | 11.70 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.6% |
| 1922 | 11.89 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.6% |
| 1923 | 12.09 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.6% |
| 1924 | 12.29 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.6% |
| 1925 | 12.48 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.5% |
| 1926 | 12.64 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.3% |
| 1927 | 12.81 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.3% |
| 1928 | 12.99 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.3% |
| 1929 | 13.16 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.3% |
| 1930 | 13.34 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.3% |
| 1931 | 13.46 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.0% |
| 1932 | 13.60 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.0% |
| 1933 | 13.74 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.0% |
| 1934 | 13.87 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.0% |
| 1935 | 14.01 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.0% |
| 1936 | 14.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.9% |
| 1937 | 14.26 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.9% |
| 1938 | 14.39 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.9% |
| 1939 | 14.53 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.0% |
| 1940 | 14.68 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.0% |
| 1941 | 13.59 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -7.4% |
| 1942 | 12.65 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -6.9% |
| 1943 | 11.83 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -6.5% |
| 1944 | 11.10 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -6.2% |
| 1945 | 10.55 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -5.0% |
| 1946 | 10.07 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.6% |
| 1947 | 9.46 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -6.0% |
| 1948 | 8.99 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -5.0% |
| 1949 | 8.46 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -5.8% |
| 1950 | 7.18 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -15.2% |
| 1951 | 6.75 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -6.0% |
| 1952 | 6.42 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -5.0% |
| 1953 | 6.24 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.7% |
| 1954 | 6.44 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.1% |
| 1955 | 6.74 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.7% |
| 1956 | 6.97 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.4% |
| 1957 | 7.31 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.9% |
| 1958 | 7.87 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.7% |
| 1959 | 8.43 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.1% |
| 1960 | 8.98 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.6% |
| 1961 | 9.08 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.1% |
| 1962 | 9.64 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.2% |
| 1963 | 9.95 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.2% |
| 1964 | 10.42 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.7% |
| 1965 | 11.40 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +9.3% |
| 1966 | 11.93 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.7% |
| 1967 | 12.50 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.8% |
| 1968 | 13.25 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.9% |
| 1969 | 14.01 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.8% |
| 1970 | 16.56 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +18.2% |
| 1971 | 16.88 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.9% |
| 1972 | 17.22 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.0% |
| 1973 | 17.71 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.8% |
| 1974 | 18.22 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.9% |
| 1975 | 18.68 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.5% |
| 1976 | 19.65 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.2% |
| 1977 | 20.70 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.4% |
| 1978 | 23.48 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +13.4% |
| 1979 | 24.58 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.7% |
| 1980 | 25.65 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.4% |
| 1981 | 26.68 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.0% |
| 1982 | 27.36 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.6% |
| 1983 | 28.20 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.1% |
| 1984 | 29.01 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.9% |
| 1985 | 30.00 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.4% |
| 1986 | 29.72 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.9% |
| 1987 | 29.26 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.5% |
| 1988 | 29.05 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.7% |
| 1989 | 28.44 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.1% |
| 1990 | 27.62 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.9% |
| 1991 | 26.48 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.1% |
| 1992 | 25.24 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.7% |
| 1993 | 24.11 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.5% |
| 1994 | 23.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.0% |
| 1995 | 22.08 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.6% |
| 1996 | 22.58 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.3% |
| 1997 | 22.32 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.2% |
| 1998 | 20.97 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -6.0% |
| 1999 | 22.61 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.8% |
| 2000 | 23.43 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.6% |
| 2001 | 24.05 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.7% |
| 2002 | 23.57 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.0% |
| 2003 | 24.05 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.0% |
| 2004 | 24.80 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.1% |
| 2005 | 26.28 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.0% |
| 2006 | 26.56 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.1% |
| 2007 | 24.28 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -8.6% |
| 2008 | 25.15 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.6% |
| 2009 | 24.81 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 25.01 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 24.31 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.8% |
| 2012 | 23.96 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.5% |
| 2013 | 24.21 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 24.39 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 23.82 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.3% |
| 2016 | 25.60 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.5% |
| 2017 | 24.20 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -5.5% |
| 2018 | 21.78 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -10.0% |
| 2019 | 23.29 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.9% |
| 2020 | 22.53 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.2% |
| 2021 | 20.39 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -9.5% |
| 2022 | 20.72 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.6% |
| 2023 | 20.13 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.8% |
| 2024 | 18.97 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -5.8% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 18.97 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents is above the median for low income countries, which is 18.97 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, 1.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 18.97 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 5.80 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, 3.3× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 10.79 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10.78 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10.81 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1860s | 10.83 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10.82 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10.85 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1870s | 10.95 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10.85 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 11.06 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1880s | 11.04 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 11.00 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 11.08 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1890s | 10.95 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10.91 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10.99 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1900s | 10.89 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10.88 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10.90 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1910s | 11.09 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10.88 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 11.42 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1920s | 12.36 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 11.51 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 13.16 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1930s | 13.94 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 13.34 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 14.53 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1940s | 11.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 8.46 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 14.68 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1950s | 7.04 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 6.24 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 8.43 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1960s | 11.12 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 8.98 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 14.01 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1970s | 19.37 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 16.56 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 24.58 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1980s | 28.34 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 25.65 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 30.00 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1990s | 23.71 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 20.97 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 27.62 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2000s | 24.70 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 23.43 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 26.56 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2010s | 24.06 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 21.78 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 25.60 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2020s | 20.55 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 18.97 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 22.53 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 5 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
- 74 Zambia 21.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 75 Ghana 19.53 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 76 Netherlands 19.05 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 78 Chile 18.64 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 79 Belarus 18.58 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 80 Guatemala 18.39 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents 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 methane emissions in North Korea?
- Methane emissions in North Korea was 18.97 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2024, according to Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest methane emissions recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 30.00 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 1985.
- What is the lowest methane emissions recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.24 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 1953.
- How does North Korea rank for methane emissions?
- North Korea ranks 77th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is methane emissions rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this North Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Methane emissions. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 175 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalents over a 100-year timescale.