Drivers of deforestation in North Korea
North Korea: Drivers of deforestation was 348.77 hectares in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Drivers of deforestation in North Korea, 2001–2023
Source: Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
North Korea recorded 348.77 hectares for drivers of deforestation in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 25.3% on the previous year and down 1.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, drivers of deforestation in North Korea peaked at 2,349 hectares in 2010 and was at its lowest, 46.33 hectares, in 2002.
North Korea ranks 61st of 166 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Drivers of deforestation in North Korea, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 179.69 hectares | — |
| 2002 | 46.33 hectares | -74.2% |
| 2003 | 59.79 hectares | +29.1% |
| 2004 | 105.82 hectares | +77.0% |
| 2005 | 122.86 hectares | +16.1% |
| 2006 | 114.05 hectares | -7.2% |
| 2007 | 243.61 hectares | +113.6% |
| 2008 | 2,121 hectares | +770.8% |
| 2009 | 1,578 hectares | -25.6% |
| 2010 | 2,349 hectares | +48.9% |
| 2011 | 180.62 hectares | -92.3% |
| 2012 | 1,187 hectares | +557.3% |
| 2013 | 353.09 hectares | -70.3% |
| 2014 | 1,175 hectares | +232.8% |
| 2015 | 160.39 hectares | -86.4% |
| 2016 | 144.81 hectares | -9.7% |
| 2017 | 151.82 hectares | +4.8% |
| 2018 | 106.68 hectares | -29.7% |
| 2019 | 259.29 hectares | +143.1% |
| 2020 | 371.69 hectares | +43.3% |
| 2021 | 493.34 hectares | +32.7% |
| 2022 | 278.37 hectares | -43.6% |
| 2023 | 348.77 hectares | +25.3% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 348.77 hectares is below the median for low income countries, which is 550.07 hectares, 63% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 348.77 hectares is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 4,457 hectares, 8% of the median. (21 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Drivers of deforestation 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | +770.8% | 243.61 hectares | 2,121 hectares |
| 2012 | +557.3% | 180.62 hectares | 1,187 hectares |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 507.95 hectares | 46.33 hectares | 2,121 hectares | 9 |
| 2010s | 606.79 hectares | 106.68 hectares | 2,349 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 373.04 hectares | 278.37 hectares | 493.34 hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
More environment data for North Korea
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 2.89 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 3.16 Percentage change (2025)
- Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e) 0.8843 % change on previous year (2024)
- Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from Industrial Processes (Mt CO2e) 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e) 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) (Mt) 0.9455 % change on previous year (2024)
- Heating Degree Days 6,917 (2024)
- Cooling Degree Days 854.46 (2024)
- Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual -0.97 % change on previous year (2024)
- Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e) 0.7752 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is drivers of deforestation in North Korea?
- Drivers of deforestation in North Korea was 348.77 hectares in 2023, according to Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest drivers of deforestation recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 2,349 hectares in 2010.
- What is the lowest drivers of deforestation recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 46.33 hectares in 2002.
- How does North Korea rank for drivers of deforestation?
- North Korea ranks 61st out of 166 countries with data for 2023.
- Is drivers of deforestation rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this North Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Drivers of deforestation. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Estimates of commodity-driven deforestation, measured in hectares per year. This includes deforestation caused by the production of agricultural products and forestry, which account for approximately 90% of the world's deforestation.