China vs North Korea
China vs North Korea: CO₂ per person
CO₂ per person in 2024: 9.32 tonnes in China and 2.5 tonnes in North Korea, by EDGAR estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in China, by 6.81 tonnes, or 3.73 times that in North Korea.
tonnes per person · EDGAR
What the numbers say
- China has been higher since 2002, when it overtook North Korea.
- In 2024, China ranked 21 and North Korea ranked 105 of 202 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 4.69 tonnes in 2024.
Every year
tonnes per person · EDGAR
| Year | China | North Korea | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 9.32 | 2.5 | 4.69 |
| 2023 | 9.23 | 2.49 | 4.68 |
| 2022 | 8.87 | 2.27 | 4.67 |
| 2021 | 8.89 | 2.18 | 4.69 |
| 2020 | 8.48 | 2.64 | 4.48 |
| 2019 | 8.39 | 2.82 | 4.7 |
| 2018 | 8.22 | 2.56 | 4.74 |
| 2017 | 7.88 | 2.85 | 4.67 |
| 2016 | 7.76 | 1.4 | 4.65 |
| 2015 | 7.79 | 1.28 | 4.7 |
| 2014 | 7.93 | 1.64 | 4.78 |
| 2013 | 7.89 | 1.5 | 4.81 |
| 2012 | 7.58 | 1.94 | 4.77 |
| 2011 | 7.4 | 2.03 | 4.76 |
| 2010 | 6.81 | 2.76 | 4.67 |
| 2009 | 6.25 | 2.88 | 4.45 |
| 2008 | 5.85 | 3.01 | 4.56 |
| 2007 | 5.71 | 2.76 | 4.59 |
| 2006 | 5.28 | 3.31 | 4.48 |
| 2005 | 4.78 | 3.27 | 4.39 |
| 2004 | 4.24 | 3.16 | 4.28 |
| 2003 | 3.71 | 3.11 | 4.15 |
| 2002 | 3.23 | 3.07 | 4.02 |
| 2001 | 3.01 | 3.22 | 4.01 |
| 2000 | 2.89 | 3.12 | 4.01 |
| 1999 | 2.75 | 2.92 | 3.95 |
| 1998 | 2.84 | 2.7 | 3.98 |
| 1997 | 2.79 | 3.32 | 4.02 |
| 1996 | 2.74 | 3.45 | 4.01 |
| 1995 | 2.79 | 3.93 | 3.99 |
| 1994 | 2.56 | 4.25 | 3.94 |
| 1993 | 2.45 | 4.71 | 3.97 |
| 1992 | 2.29 | 5.16 | 4.02 |
| 1991 | 2.22 | 5.92 | 4.1 |
| 1990 | 2.13 | 6.25 | 4.15 |
| 1989 | 2.12 | 6.62 | 4.16 |
| 1988 | 2.08 | 6.66 | 4.16 |
| 1987 | 1.97 | 6.6 | 4.1 |
| 1986 | 1.87 | 6.95 | 4.04 |
| 1985 | 1.79 | 7.14 | 4.05 |
| 1984 | 1.79 | 7.02 | 4.07 |
| 1983 | 1.67 | 6.88 | 4.01 |
| 1982 | 1.61 | 6.74 | 4.05 |
| 1981 | 1.56 | 6.54 | 4.18 |
| 1980 | 1.6 | 6.46 | 4.33 |
| 1979 | 1.65 | 6.23 | 4.46 |
| 1978 | 1.63 | 5.85 | 4.42 |
| 1977 | 1.47 | 5.62 | 4.36 |
| 1976 | 1.32 | 5.4 | 4.31 |
| 1975 | 1.29 | 5.18 | 4.15 |
| 1974 | 1.15 | 5.05 | 4.23 |
| 1973 | 1.15 | 4.96 | 4.32 |
| 1972 | 1.13 | 4.96 | 4.16 |
| 1971 | 1.09 | 4.9 | 4.04 |
| 1970 | 1.11 | 5.01 | 4.15 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Carbon dioxide from energy, industry, farming and waste, divided by the population; land use and forests are left out.
- Source: EDGAR (European Commission JRC) and the IEA, via the World Bank.
- Ranks count the 202 countries with a value in 2024, highest first.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
China vs North Korea
Health
- Life expectancyChina: 78 years in 2023North Korea: 73.6 years in 2023
- Child mortalityChina: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024North Korea: 1.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityChina: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023North Korea: 14.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionChina: 3.31% in 2017North Korea: 3.09% in 2017
- Suicide rateChina: 7.2 per 100,000 people in 2017North Korea: 11.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationChina: 1.42 billion people in 2023North Korea: 26.4 million people in 2023
- Population growthChina: -0.24% a year in 2023North Korea: 0.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateChina: 1 births per woman in 2023North Korea: 1.78 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationChina: 66.3% in 2025North Korea: 64.2% in 2025
- Median ageChina: 39.1 years in 2023North Korea: 36.1 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overChina: 14.3% in 2023North Korea: 12% in 2023
- Net migration rateChina: -0.4 per 1,000 people in 2023North Korea: -0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending per personChina: $237 in 2025North Korea: $62 in 2018
- Armed forces personnelChina: 2.54 million people in 2020North Korea: 1.47 million people in 2020
- National powerChina: 23.41% of world capability in 2022North Korea: 1.41% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersChina: 0.33% of the labour force in 2020North Korea: 8.62% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsChina: 207 million TIV in 2025North Korea: 1 million TIV in 2010
- Arms exportsChina: 880 million TIV in 2025North Korea: 44 million TIV in 2025