Terrestrial protected areas (% of total land area) in North Korea
North Korea: Terrestrial protected areas (% of total land area) was 2.4% in 2025. ▬ Flat
Terrestrial protected areas in North Korea, 2013–2025
Source: Protected Planet: The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) and World Database on Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (WD-OECM), UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring. Measured in % of total land area.
Analysis
North Korea recorded 2.4% for terrestrial protected areas in 2025. That is the highest value across all 13 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, terrestrial protected areas in North Korea peaked at 2.4% in 2013 and was at its lowest, 2.4%, in 2013.
North Korea ranks 197th of 213 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Terrestrial protected areas (% of total land area) in North Korea, year by year
| Year | % of total land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 2.4% | — |
| 2014 | 2.4% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 2.4% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 2.4% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 2.4% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 2.4% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 2.4% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 2.4% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 2.4% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 2.4% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 2.4% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 2.4% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 2.4% | +0.0% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 2.4% is below the median for low income countries, which is 12.6%, 19% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 2.4% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 15.8%, 15% of the median. (36 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 7 |
| 2020s | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
- 194 Maldives 3.0% compare
- 195 Northern Mariana Islands 2.8% compare
- 195 Sudan 2.8% compare
- 197 Faroe Islands 2.4% compare
- 197 Solomon Islands 2.4% compare
- 200 Bermuda 2.3% compare
More climate change data for North Korea
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 0.2% (2100)
- Urban population growth 0.8% (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, annual growth rate 0.7919 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population, total, annual growth rate 0.2725 % change on previous year (2025)
- Urban population 17.06 million (2025)
- Population, total 26.57 million (2025)
- Population growth 0.3% (2025)
- Per capita CO₂ emissions vs. per capita energy use 2.36 tonnes per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is terrestrial protected areas in North Korea?
- Terrestrial protected areas in North Korea was 2.4% in 2025, according to Protected Planet: The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) and World Database on Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (WD-OECM), UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring.
- What is the highest terrestrial protected areas recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 2.4% in 2013.
- What is the lowest terrestrial protected areas recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.4% in 2013.
- How does North Korea rank for terrestrial protected areas?
- North Korea ranks 197th out of 213 countries with data for 2025.
- Is terrestrial protected areas rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this North Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Protected Planet: The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) and World Database on Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (WD-OECM), UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring, published as part of Terrestrial protected areas (% of total land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 13 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Terrestrial protected areas are totally or partially protected areas of at least 1,000 hectares that are designated by national authorities as scientific reserves with limited public access, national parks, natural monuments, nature reserves or wildlife sanctuaries, protected landscapes, and areas managed mainly for sustainable use. Marine areas, unclassified areas, littoral (intertidal) areas, and sites protected under local or provincial law are excluded.