Statizoid

Long run air pollution in North Korea

North Korea: Long run air pollution was 164,937 in 2022. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2022)
164,937
Change on year
down 0.4%
World rank
74th
of 220 countries
All-time high
716,874
in 1989
All-time low
2,412
in 1750
Years of data
273
1750–2022

Long run air pollution in North Korea, 1750–2022

0200.0k400.0k600.0k800.0k175018862022

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2022, long run air pollution in North Korea stood at 164,937.

That represents a change of down 0.4% on the previous year and down 6.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, long run air pollution in North Korea peaked at 716,874 in 1989 and was at its lowest, 2,412, in 1750.

That places North Korea 74th out of 220 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Long run air pollution in North Korea, year by year

Year Value Change
1750 2,412 —
1751 2,414 +0.1%
1752 2,415 +0.1%
1753 2,416 +0.1%
1754 2,418 +0.1%
1755 2,419 +0.1%
1756 2,421 +0.1%
1757 2,422 +0.1%
1758 2,423 +0.1%
1759 2,425 +0.1%
1760 2,426 +0.1%
1761 2,427 +0.1%
1762 2,429 +0.1%
1763 2,430 +0.1%
1764 2,431 +0.1%
1765 2,432 +0.1%
1766 2,434 +0.1%
1767 2,435 +0.1%
1768 2,436 +0.1%
1769 2,437 +0.1%
1770 2,439 +0.1%
1771 2,440 +0.0%
1772 2,441 +0.0%
1773 2,442 +0.0%
1774 2,443 +0.0%
1775 2,445 +0.0%
1776 2,446 +0.0%
1777 2,447 +0.0%
1778 2,448 +0.0%
1779 2,449 +0.0%
1780 2,450 +0.0%
1781 2,451 +0.0%
1782 2,452 +0.0%
1783 2,453 +0.0%
1784 2,454 +0.0%
1785 2,456 +0.0%
1786 2,457 +0.0%
1787 2,458 +0.0%
1788 2,459 +0.0%
1789 2,460 +0.0%
1790 2,461 +0.0%
1791 2,462 +0.0%
1792 2,462 +0.0%
1793 2,463 +0.0%
1794 2,464 +0.0%
1795 2,465 +0.0%
1796 2,466 +0.0%
1797 2,467 +0.0%
1798 2,468 +0.0%
1799 2,469 +0.0%
1800 2,470 +0.0%
1801 2,471 +0.1%
1802 2,472 +0.1%
1803 2,474 +0.1%
1804 2,475 +0.1%
1805 2,477 +0.1%
1806 2,478 +0.1%
1807 2,479 +0.1%
1808 2,481 +0.1%
1809 2,482 +0.1%
1810 2,484 +0.1%
1811 2,485 +0.0%
1812 2,486 +0.0%
1813 2,487 +0.0%
1814 2,488 +0.0%
1815 2,490 +0.0%
1816 2,491 +0.0%
1817 2,492 +0.0%
1818 2,493 +0.0%
1819 2,495 +0.0%
1820 2,496 +0.0%
1821 2,497 +0.1%
1822 2,499 +0.1%
1823 2,500 +0.1%
1824 2,502 +0.1%
1825 2,503 +0.1%
1826 2,505 +0.1%
1827 2,506 +0.1%
1828 2,508 +0.1%
1829 2,509 +0.1%
1830 2,511 +0.1%
1831 2,510 -0.0%
1832 2,508 -0.0%
1833 2,507 -0.0%
1834 2,506 -0.0%
1835 2,505 -0.0%
1836 2,504 -0.0%
1837 2,502 -0.0%
1838 2,501 -0.0%
1839 2,500 -0.0%
1840 2,499 -0.0%
1841 2,497 -0.1%
1842 2,496 -0.1%
1843 2,495 -0.1%
1844 2,493 -0.1%
1845 2,492 -0.1%
1846 2,490 -0.1%
1847 2,489 -0.1%
1848 2,487 -0.1%
1849 2,486 -0.1%
1850 2,485 -0.1%
1851 2,486 +0.0%
1852 2,487 +0.0%
1853 2,488 +0.0%
1854 2,489 +0.0%
1855 2,490 +0.0%
1856 2,491 +0.0%
1857 2,492 +0.0%
1858 2,493 +0.0%
1859 2,494 +0.0%
1860 2,495 +0.0%
1861 2,496 +0.1%
1862 2,498 +0.1%
1863 2,500 +0.1%
1864 2,502 +0.1%
1865 2,504 +0.1%
1866 2,506 +0.1%
1867 2,508 +0.1%
1868 2,509 +0.1%
1869 2,511 +0.1%
1870 2,513 +0.1%
1871 2,522 +0.3%
1872 2,530 +0.3%
1873 2,538 +0.3%
1874 2,547 +0.3%
1875 2,555 +0.3%
1876 2,564 +0.3%
1877 2,572 +0.3%
1878 2,581 +0.3%
1879 2,590 +0.3%
1880 2,598 +0.3%
1881 2,597 -0.1%
1882 2,595 -0.1%
1883 2,594 -0.1%
1884 2,592 -0.1%
1885 2,591 -0.1%
1886 2,589 -0.1%
1887 2,588 -0.1%
1888 2,605 +0.7%
1889 2,623 +0.7%
1890 2,641 +0.7%
1891 2,658 +0.7%
1892 2,676 +0.7%
1893 2,693 +0.7%
1894 2,711 +0.7%
1895 2,729 +0.7%
1896 2,746 +0.6%
1897 2,764 +0.6%
1898 2,782 +0.6%
1899 2,799 +0.6%
1900 2,817 +0.6%
1901 2,847 +1.0%
1902 2,876 +1.0%
1903 2,907 +1.0%
1904 2,937 +1.0%
1905 3,010 +2.5%
1906 3,026 +0.5%
1907 3,084 +1.9%
1908 3,143 +1.9%
1909 3,655 +16.3%
1910 3,830 +4.8%
1911 4,004 +4.5%
1912 4,245 +6.0%
1913 4,458 +5.0%
1914 4,965 +11.4%
1915 5,398 +8.7%
1916 5,206 -3.6%
1917 3,888 -25.3%
1918 5,392 +38.7%
1919 5,757 +6.8%
1920 6,358 +10.4%
1921 6,665 +4.8%
1922 6,930 +4.0%
1923 7,743 +11.7%
1924 8,106 +4.7%
1925 10,235 +26.3%
1926 10,812 +5.6%
1927 11,224 +3.8%
1928 12,248 +9.1%
1929 13,516 +10.4%
1930 13,204 -2.3%
1931 13,643 +3.3%
1932 14,779 +8.3%
1933 16,279 +10.1%
1934 19,175 +17.8%
1935 21,122 +10.2%
1936 23,894 +13.1%
1937 25,318 +6.0%
1938 32,874 +29.8%
1939 39,177 +19.2%
1940 50,451 +28.8%
1941 51,482 +2.0%
1942 53,989 +4.9%
1943 50,214 -7.0%
1944 51,024 +1.6%
1945 7,854 -84.6%
1946 7,793 -0.8%
1947 7,698 -1.2%
1948 13,152 +70.9%
1949 14,565 +10.7%
1950 29,478 +102.4%
1951 31,335 +6.3%
1952 25,250 -19.4%
1953 30,522 +20.9%
1954 42,149 +38.1%
1955 48,832 +15.9%
1956 55,914 +14.5%
1957 65,357 +16.9%
1958 83,285 +27.4%
1959 97,615 +17.2%
1960 103,747 +6.3%
1961 128,454 +23.8%
1962 155,183 +20.8%
1963 165,241 +6.5%
1964 166,681 +0.9%
1965 183,527 +10.1%
1966 194,549 +6.0%
1967 216,394 +11.2%
1968 272,886 +26.1%
1969 295,230 +8.2%
1970 327,149 +10.8%
1971 311,332 -4.8%
1972 326,448 +4.9%
1973 341,261 +4.5%
1974 383,379 +12.3%
1975 408,687 +6.6%
1976 423,055 +3.5%
1977 451,974 +6.8%
1978 563,819 +24.7%
1979 660,920 +17.2%
1980 681,859 +3.2%
1981 675,904 -0.9%
1982 685,136 +1.4%
1983 694,584 +1.4%
1984 703,473 +1.3%
1985 714,190 +1.5%
1986 687,519 -3.7%
1987 685,822 -0.2%
1988 705,675 +2.9%
1989 716,874 +1.6%
1990 709,058 -1.1%
1991 607,689 -14.3%
1992 535,955 -11.8%
1993 489,138 -8.7%
1994 396,631 -18.9%
1995 390,966 -1.4%
1996 327,238 -16.3%
1997 269,980 -17.5%
1998 280,061 +3.7%
1999 248,389 -11.3%
2000 284,889 +14.7%
2001 292,100 +2.5%
2002 281,933 -3.5%
2003 284,935 +1.1%
2004 288,683 +1.3%
2005 293,606 +1.7%
2006 288,955 -1.6%
2007 250,598 -13.3%
2008 267,821 +6.9%
2009 253,777 -5.2%
2010 237,989 -6.2%
2011 184,724 -22.4%
2012 176,840 -4.3%
2013 150,638 -14.8%
2014 151,051 +0.3%
2015 130,139 -13.8%
2016 142,018 +9.1%
2017 184,872 +30.2%
2018 179,357 -3.0%
2019 197,247 +10.0%
2020 191,389 -3.0%
2021 165,612 -13.5%
2022 164,937 -0.4%

North Korea compared with similar countries

  • North Korea's 164,937 is above the median for low income countries, which is 44,196, 3.7× the median. (25 countries reporting)
  • North Korea's 164,937 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 102,909, 1.6× the median. (34 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Long run air pollution 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.

YearChange FromTo
1950 +102.4% 14,565 29,478
1945 -84.6% 51,024 7,854
1948 +70.9% 7,698 13,152
1918 +38.7% 3,888 5,392
1954 +38.1% 30,522 42,149
2017 +30.2% 142,018 184,872

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1750s 2,418 2,412 2,425 10
1760s 2,432 2,426 2,437 10
1770s 2,444 2,439 2,449 10
1780s 2,455 2,450 2,460 10
1790s 2,465 2,461 2,469 10
1800s 2,476 2,470 2,482 10
1810s 2,489 2,484 2,495 10
1820s 2,503 2,496 2,509 10
1830s 2,505 2,500 2,511 10
1840s 2,492 2,486 2,499 10
1850s 2,489 2,485 2,494 10
1860s 2,503 2,495 2,511 10
1870s 2,551 2,513 2,590 10
1880s 2,597 2,588 2,623 10
1890s 2,720 2,641 2,799 10
1900s 3,030 2,817 3,655 10
1910s 4,714 3,830 5,757 10
1920s 9,384 6,358 13,516 10
1930s 21,947 13,204 39,177 10
1940s 30,822 7,698 53,989 10
1950s 50,974 25,250 97,615 10
1960s 188,189 103,747 295,230 10
1970s 419,802 311,332 660,920 10
1980s 695,104 675,904 716,874 10
1990s 425,510 248,389 709,058 10
2000s 278,730 250,598 293,606 10
2010s 173,488 130,139 237,989 10
2020s 173,979 164,937 191,389 3

Countries ranked near North Korea

  1. 71 Portugal 187,940 compare
  2. 72 Angola 183,271 compare
  3. 73 Tanzania 175,303 compare
  4. 75 Mongolia 162,877 compare
  5. 76 Malta 159,322 compare
  6. 77 Belarus 152,752 compare

See the full ranking of 220 places →

More environment data for North Korea

All data for North Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is long run air pollution in North Korea?
Long run air pollution in North Korea was 164,937 in 2022, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest long run air pollution recorded in North Korea?
The highest recorded value was 716,874 in 1989.
What is the lowest long run air pollution recorded in North Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 2,412 in 1750.
How does North Korea rank for long run air pollution?
North Korea ranks 74th out of 220 countries with data for 2022.
Is long run air pollution rising or falling in North Korea?
Over the last ten years it is down 6.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this North Korea data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Long run air pollution. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Long run air pollution in North Korea. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 15 November 2026, from https://environment.statizoid.com/stat/long-run-air-pollution/korea-dem-people-s-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Long run air pollution
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
220 places, 60,060 data points, 1750–2022
Last refreshed